


Missing Piece

by BlueBayou



Series: His Girl Wednesday Universe [3]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Cute, Family, Fluff, One Shot, olicity - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-27
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-03-24 20:04:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 26,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13818462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueBayou/pseuds/BlueBayou
Summary: This is a collection of one-shots from the HGW/STAMTB verse. It will give you a glimpse of Oliver and Felicity's lives after the ending of Some Things Are Meant To Be, mostly with their children. You will also probably get a few hints about the other characters (Thea, Dig, Tommy, for instance) at some point.





	1. Around Her Little Finger

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mysticaldetectivepanda](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysticaldetectivepanda/gifts), [Pidanka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pidanka/gifts), [februarygreen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/februarygreen/gifts), [AMELLSRICKARDSS](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AMELLSRICKARDSS/gifts).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!  
> Long time no see, right?
> 
> I mean... it's been at least two weeks O_O  
> I promised, many months ago, a collection of one-shots for those who wanted to know more about Oliver and Felicity after they got married, and Oliver got elected mayor, and Felicity got pregnant... so here you go.  
> This one is short, fluffy, and I figured it was a good starting point.
> 
> Special thanks to mysticaldetectivepanda, who beta's as usual, Danka who delta's as usual too and major kudos for Val overcoming her tantrum and still reading it :p
> 
> I also dedicate this to Feb, for her constant support, and to Martina, because I still remember her hysterical comments back in HGW (then she did them on Twitter, and mostly the same except in several tweets XD). In general though, this collection, which I linked to HGW and STAMTB to make it easy for people to find it, is for all of you who encouraged, supported, cheered for me during those two years that story took me to write. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU <3<3<3

 

“Daddy?”

Oliver lifted his head, the smile already growing on his lips even before he caught sight of his daughter. Lili was now eighteen months old and even though she had started talking a few months ago, she had only mastered the word “daddy” a couple weeks ago.

His favorite word in the whole wide world.

He watched as Lili slowly made her way to him in that slightly unbalanced gait toddlers had, a bottle in her hands. He caught Felicity’s smiling face as she lingered by the door.

“Sorry but…”

Oliver shook his head, cutting his wife off before she could even add a word. A glance at the clock confirmed what the appearance of his daughter had hinted at: it was more than time for Lili’s evening bottle. “I didn’t realize it was that late,” he apologized as she gave him a little wave and mouthed that she was going to take a shower.

Leaning back in his chair, he pushed back the report he had been working on for the past hours and carefully picked up Lili. She settled in his arms, already finding her favorite position. Night feedings had always been his private moment with her, and it hadn’t changed as she had started to grow up. He knew she would soon make do without her last comforting bottle of warm milk before bed and didn’t want to miss a single occasion to share that special moment with her.

Lili looked up at him, her tiny hands around her bottle and she snuggled her side against his chest. She hadn’t needed an adult to help her with her bottles in ages, and even though now he was only necessary for the cuddling, he wasn’t complaining. Her hair was soft, the curls bouncing around her little face and he could smell her shampoo and the faint fragrance of the fabric softener on her PJs. He squeezed one of her feet, covered by a pair of unicorn socks and he dropped a kiss on her forehead when she let out a small giggle at the tickling sensation. The house was silent, something he was enjoying more and more lately. Having a child had definitely changed a lot of things. For him, for Felicity, and for them as a married couple. They both had very demanding jobs and wanted to maintain a healthy relationship as well as enjoy their daughter as much as possible. The consequence was that the down times were not very frequent.

Not that he would change it for anything in the world, he thought as he gazed down at his daughter, who was enjoying her warm milk, her eyes slightly unfocused and dreamy. Lili had been a surprise for him - first of all because Felicity had asked him to wait a little longer before starting a family, only to catch him off guard the very same night he had been elected mayor, with the news that she was six weeks pregnant. Then, despite wanting to find out the gender as soon as possible, they had been unable to know if they were having a son or a daughter since she was constantly in the wrong position.

It was only two months before term that they had finally found out.

By then, all Oliver wanted was to be sure their child was healthy. But it was no secret he had been wanting a little girl since even before he had proposed to Felicity.

He had wanted to name her Lili, and Felicity had at first thought he meant Lily, like Harry Potter’s mom and had beamed in approval.

The truth had been very different. Lili came directly from both their names. Fe **li** city and O **li** ver.

Definitely one of his sappiest moves, as Tommy had said.

Not that he cared in the slightest. Lili was perfect, and the name was perfect for her too. She had her mother’s curls, with her grandmothers’ natural fair color, but her eyes were his. She looked like an angel but also had quite the temper and it had taken months before she had started to sleep through the nights. Oliver had lost count of the number of times he had spent with her in his arms as he walked her back to sleep, Pickle pacing with him no matter how late it was.

Felicity had been in charge of the daily feedings but he needed much less sleep than her and, to be fair, he had liked the little one on ones from the start.

A squishy, wet nipple pressing on his chin tore him away from his thoughts and he glanced down at the bottle Lili was handing him. It wasn’t empty, but she was apparently already full.

“Thank you, sweetheart,” he murmured as he put the bottle on his desk and grabbed a kleenex to pat the corner of her lips. “Ready for bed?”

Lili shook her head.

“No?” Oliver asked in surprise, cocking an eyebrow.

“No.”

Unsurprisingly, the word “no” had been very easy to master. She was her mother’s daughter after all. Stubbornness was written in her DNA.

“Alright… then what should we do?”

“Dooda!”

“Doodles?”

Lili nodded with enthusiasm, her curls bouncing on her forehead.

“Don’t tell mommy, OK?” he whispered as he made room on his desk, grabbing a sheet of paper and a few crayons from the top drawer. Lili was still too young to really be able to color anything, but what she lacked in skill, she compensated for in enthusiasm.

As could testify by the art collection currently behind him.

And in his office at the city hall.

And in the kitchen.

And in Felicity’s office.

His mother had even dedicated a spot in their art gallery at the mansion for her most accomplished masterpieces.

Checking to make sure his daughter was focused on her art, he grabbed one of the pages of the report - the one with the analytical graph and the estimated budget for his after school program.

Numbers had never been his forte but they were also unfortunately a big part of his job. Shifting Lili until she was comfortably sitting on his left thigh, he tore off a post-it and added a few notes to ask his chief of staff for clarification.

“I hope you’ll get your mom’s brain for math,” he muttered as he tore off yet another yellow sticky note.

“Daddy.”

“No. Mommy.”

“Daddy.”

Oliver chuckled and shook his head as he scribbled down a question about a potential way to include students in civic programs to make them feel more involved with their city and also limit the costs.

Lili still hadn’t said “mommy”. The closest she got was “mama” and it had been just once, months ago. Felicity had been way more mature than Oliver about it. If the roles had been reversed and Lili was stubbornly refusing to call him daddy, he would probably cry himself to sleep every night. Felicity, on the other hand, had just smiled and said if there was one woman on earth who could understand a serious infatuation with him, it was her and therefore she couldn’t blame her daughter. To Lili, her parents were both “daddy”.

Thank God she hadn’t started calling other people that name, though, despite Tommy’s annoying habit to try to coax her, just to rile him up.

Which totally worked.

He had waited what seemed like forever to become a dad, and he didn’t regret a single day that had led to the first time he had been able to hold his child in his arms, especially since a good chunk of those days had been spent enjoying a certain freedom with the love of his life. However, there was no denying he was extremely protective of that relationship and well, yes… also a little bit jealous which didn’t bode well for when Lili would be old enough to go on dates, as Felicity had once told him.

He had needed a double scotch at the prospect, then had reassured himself he had more than a decade to prepare himself.

“She should be in bed,” Felicity said in a quiet voice, tearing him away from the rows and rows of numbers that were dancing in front of his eyes. A quick glance confirmed his wife was right: it was definitely late.

“Daddy’s not on top of his game today, is he?” Oliver sighed, pressing a quick kiss on Lili’s hair before dropping the pen he was currently holding.

Felicity walked inside the room and his attention was soon diverted to her naked legs. They had been married for almost four years now, and marriage had been as blissful as he had thought. He would never get tired of calling her his wife, or hearing her call him her husband. Life had been hard for them at the beginning of their relationship, but they liked to think that now Karma was balancing itself and providing them with the happiness they had been deprived of for so long. The three years away from each other were still there, but Oliver didn’t think much about that part of his life anymore.

There was just too much sunshine to let the darkness in. He still sometimes had nightmares, especially the first few months Lili had been with them - a result of parental anxiety mixed with PTSD according to the therapist he had seen to help him deal with his issues. When it had just been him and Felicity, they had managed the trauma quite well but as soon as an innocent child had been brought into the mix, Oliver hadn’t wanted to take a single risk. It was for his daughter as much as for him that he had asked Dig if he knew someone trustworthy.

Of course, he hadn’t shared the full story of what had happened to him - but even without all the details, the therapy had helped.

“You know…” Felicity said in a slow, teasing voice as she stepped behind him and started to rub his shoulders. “As much as I am proud of my daughter’s skills when it comes to crayons, I’m not positive the rest of your staff shares the same admiration.”

“Mmh?” Oliver asked, his eyes dropping closed as he focused on the way Felicity’s hands started to massage the knot on the muscles between his neck and shoulders. God, it felt amazing.

“Lili obviously feels very involved with your latest report. One could even say… she wants to leave her mark on it.”

“Wha… Lili, no!” he exclaimed once he finally registered what Felicity was talking about.

Lili startled, her big blue eyes darting up at him and distracting him from the colorful papers now spread over his entire desk.

He heard Felicity’s snort behind him but she turned around and pretended to focus on the ficus right behind his desk.

“Sweetheart, no, those were daddy’s papers,” Oliver explained in a soft voice, prying the paper Lili was clutching in her hand. “You know you can only use the paper daddy gives you.”

“Daddy?”

“Yes.”

Lili blinked slowly, a small smile spreading on her lips before she swiftly turned around and threw her arms on his shoulders, nestling her face under his throat. “Wowu.”

Oliver melted, his heart literally liquefying in his chest. Wowu in Lili’s vocabulary meant “I love you”, or at least that’s what they assumed it meant since she always repeated it after they told her those three words.

“I love you too.”

“You do know she’s starting to connect the dots, right?” Felicity chuckled behind him.

“Shh. Let me savor my moment.”

Lili’s little body was snuggled up close and truth be told, he didn’t really care if she was trying to work herself out of a lecture. Not to mention, it was mostly his fault anyway. He should have paid more attention.

“Why don’t we let daddy finish his work and go brush our teeth and read a story?”

Lili lifted her head, eyeing him carefully and he couldn’t help but smile, straightening her hair. “Give daddy a kiss.”

She planted a big, loud smack on his chin and he couldn’t resist, blowing raspberries on her neck until she was a squealing, giggling mess.

“You’re going to be in big trouble whenever she really starts talking,” Felicity said with a smile when he finally handed her their daughter.

He grinned as he watched his girls walk out of his office. “I know.”

His daughter had him wrapped around her little finger.

Just like her mom.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lili has her daddy wrapped around her little finger, Oliver know it, Felicity know it, everyone knows it and it will only get worse with the years.  
> If any of you has a suggestion, or wants to read something specific, please feel free to ask. I have a few ideas myself but it's mostly a "write where the muse takes me" rather than a real plan. As I said in my notes at the beginning, this one is rather short. The next one is longer, and I think each will vary in length according to what story I'm telling. This one was mostly fluff and daddy!Oliver feels <3


	2. Growing Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!
> 
> SO as promised, this one is a little longer. It happens when Lili is twelve, and Jamie is nine, ten years old. Again it is mostly with Oliver, but I promise you will eventually get some Felicity centered-ones as well ;)
> 
> Oh and there is a Tommy cameo too!
> 
> Special thanks to mysticaldetectivepanda for editing it <3<3<3

 

 

“Dad!”

Oliver closed the oven after checking on the lasagna - it still needed at least another ten minutes. “Yes?”

Jamie, his oldest son, walked to a chair at the kitchen table and sat heavily on it. “Lili doesn’t want to leave your bathroom and I need to go.”

“There are… at least three other bathrooms in this house, you can use one of them.”

“Yeah but they don’t have Science Magazine in them.”

Oliver rolled his eyes. Jamie was Felicity’s son through and through. The only reason there were Science Magazines in their bathroom was because Felicity enjoyed a “relaxing read” whenever she would have the time for a bubble bath. He, on the other hand, had never been able to understand what was relaxing about quantum mechanics, but their son apparently shared her opinion. Oliver wasn’t sure Jamie understood half of what he was reading, but it didn’t stop their son from trying anyway. “I’m sure you can manage going to the bathroom without reading for once. It’s almost dinner time anyway, and someone needs to set the table.”

“It’s Lili’s turn,” Jamie said pointedly.

Sighing, Oliver got rid of the mitts that were still on his hands. “Alright.”

Ever since she had started middle school, Lili had been spending more and more time in the bathroom or her walk-in closet. Teenage years were looming close, something he definitely was not looking forward to, especially since she had decided, a year ago, that she was too old for daddy-daughter days. His heart had been broken until Felicity had gently suggested that maybe their daughter only meant an afternoon at the indoor playground was a little too childish for her now.

Oliver and Felicity both wanted to have special moments with each of their children. Lili’s day with Oliver was Wednesday, Jamie was Tuesday and Alex, their youngest, was Thursday. It usually was just a couple hours between school and dinner, but it was important to them to show that each relationship was special and unique in their eyes. Daddy-daughter Wednesdays had changed, and were now usually spent at the mall where Oliver’s credit card suffered more and more, or sometimes at the movies.

His daughter was growing up into a beautiful young woman, smart, confident and outspoken and nothing could have made him prouder.

Jogging up the stairs, he headed directly towards the master bedroom and rapped his fingers against the ensuite bathroom’s door. “Lili, dinner is almost ready and your brother wants to-”

“No!”

Oliver’s eyebrows reached his hairline. “Excuse me?”

“He can go in another one.”

Oliver let out a long breath through his nose, not really appreciating his daughter’s borderline snappy tone. “Lili…”

“I can’t come out, daddy.”

This time, her voice was different. Younger.

“Lili, are you OK?” Oliver asked, the beginning of irritation he had started to feel melting away, only to be replaced by fear.

“Where’s mom? She’s not answering her phone.”

“She’s in New York. She’ll be back tomorrow, remember?”

He heard a muffled sniffle and the fear started to grow. “Sweetheart, open the door. Are you hurt? Did… did someone hurt you?”

“No. Well yes. But no.”

Usually, Oliver adored how much Lili was like her mom. Right now, he would have given about anything for her to be a little more straight-forward though.

“Open the door.”

“Where’s Jamie?”

“Downstairs.”

“And Alex?”

“He’s staying at Uncle John’s, remember?”

“It’s embarrassing.”

Oliver frowned. “That he’s staying at Uncle John’s?”

“No! Me.”

“...  **you** wanted to stay at Uncle John’s?” Oliver asked again, his confusion reaching a new peak.

“No!” Lili cried out.

“Alright, sweetpea, I don’t understand what the problem is but I don’t like you being locked inside a room when I’m not sure you’re OK. So please, open the door.”

Several options were running through his head. Maybe she had tried to dye her hair, like Saran had done a few years ago?

But when Lili opened the door, she looked perfectly normal. Her hair was still the same blonde, she hadn’t cut her bangs either. The only indication that something was off were her red cheeks and puffy eyes.

His first instinct was to walk to her with open arms to dry her tears but she backed away from him. He tried to ignore the pinch of pain and gently closed the door behind him.

“Alright. What’s going on?”

She lowered her eyes, hiding her hands in the long sleeves of her oversized hoodie - one she had stolen from her Aunt Thea actually.

“Lili…?”

“Daddy, I think I have… you know,” she mumbled, her cheeks reddening even more as she kept her eyes on the floor.

Oliver blinked. “I… I’m sorry, sweetheart but no, I don’t know.”

Lili murmured something so low he couldn’t hear it. Nervously licking his lips, he let his eyes travel around the room, noticing for the first time that it was messier than he had left it in the morning. “Why did you go through our stuff?” he asked, still wondering if his daughter had done something wrong or not.

“I have my period,” she blurted out. “I think.”

Oliver froze. “No.”

“What?” Lili asked, the simple word enough to make her lift her head to face her father.

“You… you can’t. You just turned twelve.”

“I know!”

“Felicity… your mom… she started having them at fourteen and…”

His baby girl couldn’t have her period now. It was too soon. She wasn’t ready.

Who was he kidding?  **He** wasn’t ready.

“I know, dad!” Lili let out in a trembling voice.

The distress in his daughter’s voice was enough to snap him back to reality. Now wasn’t the time to freak out about puberty and his baby girl growing up.

“It’s OK, honey. It’s perfectly natural,” he said in the calmest voice he could muster, cursing Felicity’s assistant for planning that trip just the day their daughter was experiencing one of the biggest changes in her body.

Shakily, he made his way to the toilet and lowered the top to sit on it, his knees suddenly feeling like jello.

“Mom only has tampons and I don’t know how to… I mean… do I… it’s… I want mom,” Lili finished, bursting into tears.

_ Me too. _

“Alright. OK. So… first things first… you need… stuff, right?”

Lili wiped her nose against her sleeve. “Yes.”

“And mom doesn’t have…”

“No.”

“Good. Good. Hum. Alright. I’m gonna go to the supermarket, and buy you… stuff. Do you know what kind exactly…?”

“No.”

“It’s alright, I’ll figure it out.”

_ I hope so. _

Jamie was sitting at the bottom of the stairs, holding their cat, when Oliver rushed down the steps.

“Lili isn’t feeling well,” Oliver said as he opened the closet to grab a jacket. “I need to go to the drugstore for her. Please, be nice and leave her alone, OK?”

Jamie frowned. “Is she going to be alright?”

Oliver smiled reassuringly. “Yes, buddy, don’t worry.”

Thankfully, Jamie was the quiet one of the family. He would leave his sister alone if asked. Had Alex been there, it would have been a different story and more like waving a red flag in front of a bull.

“I’m setting the alarm, don’t answer the door, you know the drill.”

Jamie nodded gravely.

Oliver didn’t like leaving his children alone even if, at 12, Lili was used to looking after her little brothers for short periods of time during the day. One quick stop to shut off the oven later and he was in his car, heading to the nearest drugstore, having flashbacks to that time, almost fifteen years ago, when he had had to buy tampons for Felicity. A father had been as lost as he had been and he tried to remember the advice another customer had given them, but he had been too focused on the gazillion boxes of tampons in front of him to really pay attention.

Unfortunately, there were just as many different types of pads as there were tampons, he realized as he stood in the female products aisle. He tried once again to call Felicity but, just like in his car, it went straight to voicemail.

Thea was next, with no success either.

Sara was on the other side of the planet, hiking in Australia, so there was little chance he could reach her. His own mother was on a cruise with Walter and he knew better than to call Felicity’s mom.

After hesitating a few seconds, he eventually decided to call Alex’s godmother.

It rang a couple times and when someone picked up, he moved the phone away from his ear to check if he had dialled the right number.

“Is there a reason why you’re calling my wife?” Tommy said as welcoming words.

“I… where is she?”

“Taking a nap.”

“Damn.”

Daniela had had a few health issues in the past few months and he knew she still wasn’t on the top of her game.

“What’s wrong?” Tommy asked.

“I… hum… I need a woman and I’m running out of options.”

“... excuse me?”

“Not…” Oliver groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. “I have a daughter emergency and Felicity is in New York, OK?”

“Is something wrong with Lili?”

“She… no… she just… she just started her period and needs… stuff but…”

“Oh damn. OK. She probably needs pads, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then get her some.”

Oliver rolled his eyes. “Brilliant. Thank you. I wonder why I didn’t think about it myself.”

“Glad I could help.”

“Tommy, there are dozens of kinds.”

“Where are you?”

“Walgreens.”

“The one on Elm street?”

“Yup.”

“OK. Hold on, I’m on my way. I was supposed to get some lube anyway.”

“What the… I didn’t need to know  **that** !”

“And I didn’t need to know my adorable little niece is becoming a woman either, yet here we are.”

Luckily, Walgreens was a short drive from Tommy’s place and after going to get some Ibuprofen and a few of Lili’s favorite chocolate treats, Oliver started pacing in front of the displays of pads, ignoring the curious glances the other customers were throwing at him.

As if they had never seen a former mayor pacing in front of female care products before.

OK. So maybe they hadn’t.

Still. He was married, had a wife and a daughter, it wasn’t like he lived only surrounded by men.

“Alright. It can’t be that complicated,” Tommy said as soon as he spotted him. “Do you know if she’s bleeding a lot?”

“What? No. I… no.”

“I would assume not since it’s the first time. OK. I’d go with the simple ones first,” his best friend said, grabbing a purple package and throwing it in Oliver’s basket. “One pack with little wings on the side should be a good idea too. Oh and also larger ones for night time or just so she feels more comfortable. I know Dani likes to use a special soap to feel all freshened up, you should get some too.”

Oliver glanced down at his basket, observing the rapidly growing pile of pads and other essentials. “How do you know so much about…”

“I dated an ob-gyn back in the day.”

“And you guys talked about periods?”

Tommy rolled his eyes. “No. But I often stopped at her office. She was into kinky stuff with the… nevermind. I always had to wait for her last patient to leave and there isn’t much to read in an ob-gyn waiting room, I’ll have you know. Alright, I think this is enough for now.”

Seeing as his basket was completely full, Oliver couldn’t help but agree.

“Get her ice cream too, maybe?” Tommy suggested as they headed to the counter.

“Good idea. She loves Rocky Road.”

The cashier eyed them as he started to pack their bags, doing a double-take when he had to ring Tommy’s single bottle of lube.

“Jesus…” Oliver whispered underneath his breath at the way the young man’s eyes traveled from him to Tommy.

“Dude,” Tommy said in a deadpan voice. “Real men buy lube and pads together, OK? Trust me, your future girlfriend will appreciate it more if you don’t get all squeamish about periods and sex. And if you don’t swing that way… well, pretty sure your future boyfriend will also appreciate it.”

“I’ll ask Dani to give you a call when she wakes up,” Tommy said as they headed back towards their respective cars, Oliver’s arms full of bags.

“Thanks. I hope I can reach Felicity soon but…”

“No worry. Just play it cool and normal, OK? Don’t show Lili you’re freaking out because your little girl isn’t so little anymore.”

Oliver groaned. “Who do you think I am?”

“Ollie, remember that day she came back from school saying she had a boyfriend?”

“Hey! That was a normal reaction, OK? I know how boys think. I’m raising mine to be good boys but I can’t be sure-”

“The kid was five.”

Oliver pressed his lips together. “Still.”

He didn’t linger any longer, knowing his daughter needed him and he was back home less than twenty minutes after having left. Jamie was still sitting on the stairs, but the cat was long gone.

“She is still upstairs,” he said. “And I’m really hungry now.”

“There is a container of leftover soup from yesterday, reheat it in the microwave, that should hold you until dinner, OK?”

Jamie nodded then rushed down the hallway before turning to face his dad. “Is Lili gonna be OK?”

“Yes. I just need to bring her a few things. Can you put this in the freezer for me?” he asked, handing his son the two pints of ice cream he had bought.

“Is this for dessert? Ice cream for dessert is during weekends only.”

“It’s… a special treat.”

Lili was sitting on the edge of the bathtub when he walked back in the room and she blew her nose before throwing the kleenex in the trash can.

“I know mom had a talk with you awhile ago,” he started as he put the bags on the counter.

“Yes.”

“Do you know…”

“I think so. She explained.”

“Alright. Do you need anything else?”

“I need fresh clothes,” Lili murmured, keeping her eyes on the floor.

“Fresh… oh. Of course. I’ll go get you some.”

Rushing out of the bedroom, he made a beeline to Lili’s room, at the end of the hallway. He quickly grabbed some underwear and a pair of sweatpants, knowing Felicity liked to be comfortable and figured it would be the same for her.

“Do you want to take a shower?” he asked when he dropped the clothes near the bags. “You can do it here.”

Their shower had a lot of water jets, which the kids loved, but they usually weren’t allowed to use it - mostly because then they would spend forever in the bathroom and make a mess. This was definitely an exceptional situation though.

“OK.”

He was about to leave, and wait outside his bedroom to give her privacy, but the way her shoulders were drooping tore something inside his chest. He might still feel a little bit of panic and fear of doing or saying the wrong thing at what was, essentially, a big moment in Lili’s life from what he could remember with Thea, but he also didn’t want her to think periods were something awkward or to be ashamed of.

He gently pulled her in his arms and pressed his lips against her head. “I’m sorry mom isn’t here. And I’m sorry I’m mostly a clueless man. But what is happening right now is normal. It’s good. That means you’re a healthy little gi-” he stopped himself. “That means you’re a healthy young woman. It means you’re growing up and it’s the next step in your life. OK?”

Lili offered him a little smile. It was shaky, but it was there. “OK,” she murmured.

“I’m going to make sure your brother doesn’t experiment with the microwave again and then I’ll be right back, alright?” He pressed one last kiss on her forehead then eventually left the room.

He quickly checked on Jamie, who was eating his soup, then turned on the oven again and prepared a small salad. The few minutes of normalcy allowed him to slip fully back in normal dad mode. His daughter needed him and even though he probably couldn’t give her what her mom could, he would still be there for her and hopefully make this day something she wouldn’t remember as awkward or embarrassing.

“James?” he called his son as he prepared a hot water bottle.

“Yes?”

“I’ve set the timer but could you glance at the lasagna in ten minutes or so? Through the oven glass,” Oliver specified, not trusting his son and an oven. He was way too similar to Felicity, not to mention not even ten years old. “If you notice it’s getting too brown, call me, OK? I’ll be upstairs.”

“Alright.”

Lili was already back in her room when he made his way upstairs, her old, well-loved plush giraffe in her arms.

She lowered the phone she was holding to her ear. “Mom is still not answering.”

“I know, I’m sorry sweetie. She was supposed to visit a plant in the north of the state, she probably doesn’t have a signal there.” Oliver sat down next to her, his hand gently pushing away the few strands that had escaped her ponytail. “Do you have cramps?”

“I don’t know.”

“Does it hurt?”

“Yes.”

He handed her the hot water bottle, the one Felicity used whenever her period was too painful - it hadn’t happened in a while, the cramps apparently getting less and less strong with each pregnancy for some reason. He went to get a glass of water and the rest of the emergency period package he had grabbed at the drugstore, handing her some Ibuprofen. “This will help.”

“My friends don’t have them yet.”

It took a few seconds for Oliver to understand what she meant. “Oh. Hum… you know, I don’t think there’s a set of rules. I guess it depends on each girl.”

“It’s weird. I don’t want people to know.”

“You don’t have to tell anyone. It’s nobody’s business but yours.”

“Then I won’t.”

“That being said, there is nothing shameful, Lili. Alright? The only embarrassing thing about it is how I had to ask your Uncle Tommy for help because I didn’t know what pads to buy,” he added to lighten the mood.

It worked, seeing the small smile that lifted the corner of her lips.

“You know, I never told this story to anyone, even though I’m pretty sure your mom did, but the first time she asked me to buy tampons, I almost emptied the entire store.”

This time, it was a small giggle that reached him and by the time he was done with the whole story, a large smile was on her lips.

“Men are a little clueless. You’ll have to remind me to make sure your brothers are a little more educated than I was, by the way.”

“Ugh. I don’t want you to tell them.”

“Not today, silly girl. When they’re teenagers,” Oliver chuckled as he gently pulled on her ponytail. “Alex is too young to understand and Jamie would probably research the topic and come up with a gazillion questions I have no answer for.”

“I’m pretty sure he already read everything about the topic in one of mom’s science magazines.”

“True.”

Jamie was fascinated by science, especially biology.

“How about you stay home tomorrow? Mom is coming back early in the afternoon and it’s not like you can’t afford to lose a day of school.”

Her grades were perfect.

“I can?” Lili asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

“Yes. You can have a girl day and watch  _ The Princess Bride _ or something.”

“You think mom will be OK?”

Felicity was extremely attentive when it came to their children’s education but Oliver knew without a doubt that she would side with him this time. Their daughter deserved to be a little spoiled.

“I’m positive she’ll agree with me.”

“Daaaaaad?” Jamie’s yelling voice reached them from the first floor.

“Yes?” Oliver yelled back.

“The timer went off!”

“I’ll be right there!”

Turning back to face Lili, he asked, “Are you hungry?”

She shook her head with a little grimace. “OK. I’m going to let you rest and feed your brother. Call if you need me.”

He softly closed the door behind him and jogged back down to the kitchen where Jamie was already waiting impatiently. “Lasagna has to sit ten minutes, anyway. And go wash your hands.”

With a groan, Jamie slipped from his chair, heading to the nearest bathroom. Oliver took the dish from the oven and set it on the table before cutting some bread and spreading garlic butter on the slices, putting them in the oven before pouring the dressing over the salad.

He had just served Jamie a good helping of lasagna when his phone rang and he let out a sigh of relief when he saw it was Felicity.

“Start without me,” he whispered before standing up and heading to the hallway. “Hi, honey.”

“Oliver? What’s wrong? Lili tried to call me and texted me and-”

“It’s alright. Everything is OK. She just… well she just started her period,” Oliver explained as he slowly made his way upstairs.

“What? Oh God. Oh no. My baby. And I wasn’t there. How is she? Does she have cramps? Did she-”

“I gave her Ibuprofen and a hot water bottle and went to buy her pads. She was in bed ten minutes ago.”

“I tried to call her but she didn’t reply.”

Oliver slowly opened the door. “Lili?”

He smiled when he saw his daughter was still clutching her plush giraffe, her eyes closed. Her peaceful breathing confirmed that she had probably fallen asleep and he quietly closed the door.

“She fell asleep.”

“It’s probably the Ibuprofen and all the emotions,” Felicity said. “I can’t believe my daughter just started her period and I’m not there. Did she have questions?”

“No. I think you explained everything to her, right?”

“Well, yes, yes of course, I did that when she wondered about Saran but… it’s not the same.”

“I’m keeping her home tomorrow, by the way.”

“Of course. I’m going to ask my assistant to make sure the jet is ready to leave as soon as possible tomorrow morning. Hopefully I’ll be in Starling by one o’clock.”

“That’s great. I miss you.”

“I’ve only been gone one day, Oliver,” Felicity laughed. “How are you coping?”

“The best I can,” he chuckled.

“If she fell asleep, that means she was comfortable so… you did good. I’m proud of you, hubby.”

“I can’t believe she’s… you know. All grown up.”

“We still have a bit of time before she has the right to vote, though.”

“I have a feeling it’s gonna go quicker than I’d like it to.”

“Probably. But then again, you’re the one who cried when she started preschool so…”

“I had something in my eye.”

“Suuuure. Anyway, how is Jamie?”

“Last time I checked he was shoving his face with lasagna.”

“Did you hear from Alex?”

“Dig texted me when he picked up the boys after hockey, everything was good.”

“Good. I should go get dinner. Tell Lili I’ll leave my phone on all night, so she can call whenever she wants to.”

“I will.”

“I can’t believe we’re officially parents to a teenage girl.”

“Don’t remind me.”

“You’re the one who wanted a girl.”

“I wasn’t thinking so far ahead back then,” he all but moaned, thinking about Saran and how she was now almost old enough to learn how to drive and even had a boyfriend.

A boyfriend.

As in, a  **boy** .

“You think Dig will teach her self-defense?” he asked in a small voice.

“Pretty sure, yes. I’m positive it’s part of the godfather duties.”

“Good. That’s… yeah, that’s good.”

“Oliver?”

“Yes?”

“You still have a few years ahead, you know.”

“That’s what you told me about the periods.”

There was a small pause on the phone. “Damn.”

“Exactly.”

“Tell Jamie he can call me once he’s done with his dinner, alright?” Felicity said, smoothly changing topics.

“I will. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Oliver hung up then slowly walked down the stairs, not surprised to see Jamie was still seated at the table. He was a slow eater, and judging by Skype and Pickle by his side, the dogs had also benefited from his generosity.

“Jamie, this is not good food for the dogs.”

“But they really like your lasagna, dad.”

“Well... I am very touched they enjoy it but it’s still not healthy. Pickle is old now, and Skype isn't exactly young either, so we need to watch their diet to make sure they stay with us as long as possible, OK?”

“OK.”

Oliver smiled, ruffling his son’s dirty blonde hair. Out of their three children, only Alex had Felicity’s natural brown hair.

“Is Lili feeling better?”

“Yes. She is asleep.”

Jamie nodded then tore a little piece of garlic bread, chewing thoughtfully. “Did she start her period?” he asked.

Oliver’s eyes widened. “What… how…”

“I’m not a baby, dad. I know about periods and the reproductive system and Lili is twelve, statistically speaking, she is-”

“God, Jamie,” Oliver chuckled. “You are such your mother’s son. To answer your question, yes, she did. But it’s delicate for girls, OK? So don’t ask her questions or bother her with that.”

“Why? It’s natural.”

“But it’s very private.”

“Oh. OK, then. I won’t say anything.”

Oliver shook his head as he helped himself a large portion of lasagna. Jamie was bright. Exceptionally bright. Like… Felicity kind of bright. That also came with a certain type of maturity that often caught him off guard. He apparently knew all about the reproductive system but still couldn’t be trusted with a toolbox - very much like his mom, he would dismantle the entire house if he was given the chance, his curiosity endless and never satisfied.

His three children were extremely different - each unique in their own special way, each making fatherhood an adventure in itself.

When he had decided to be a stay-at-home dad, he had mostly considered the baby and toddler stages. Now their youngest, Alex, was a little over six years old and had just started his own activities out of school. Most of Oliver’s days were spent handling everyone’s schedules and volunteering for different charities. Their family was wealthy enough that he didn’t need to have a steady income - his wife was taking care of that part quite perfectly and he liked the idea of giving back, setting a different kind of example for their children as well. Felicity, on the other hand, loved her job, so all in all, it was the perfect balance that made them both happy outside of their marriage and parenthood, which in return also made their lives at home peaceful and fulfilling.

“So is it only you and me tonight?” Jamie asked as he slowly drank his water while Oliver finished his meal.

“Yup.”

“Can we watch a movie?”

Oliver smiled. “In my bedroom, I assume?”

“Well… yes.”

“If you want to.”

“And can I have ice cream for dessert?”

“I wasn’t going to let Lili have some and not you.”

“And can I take my shower in your bathroom?”

Oliver laughed, popping the rest of his bread in his mouth. “Alright. But you’re not telling mom, OK?”

“I won’t. But she’ll guess anyway.”

_ That she will. _

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I wrote that chapter in STAMTB where Oliver has to buy tampons, I thought about how he would definitely be the clueless dad he met at the drugstore eventually. His little girl is growing up and... he's trying to cope lol.
> 
> You also got to see more of Jamie, who is very similar to Felicity and know stuff that Oliver wishes he didn't know lol.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this (as stated previously, these one-shots won't really by in chronological order).
> 
> And good to know that Tommy is still Tommy, right? XD


	3. Smoak Women

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!  
> I was really looking forward to sharing this one-shot with you because it brought up so many good memories I have of HGW/STAMTB. It also allows us to see Felicity in her working environment and how her daughter kinda fits into it...  
> I'm also very Smoak Tech nostalgic so there is that too XD
> 
> Big thank you to mysticaldetectivepanda who edited it <3<3<3

 

“Daddy, my tights are itchy,” Lili complained as soon as Oliver set her on the pavement. Oliver chuckled when he saw his daughter, the very same one who had insisted on wearing a nice dress to look good like mommy, vigorously scratching her butt in the middle of the street.

“I told you to wear pants,” he said as he grabbed her hand in his and hurried to cross the street while the light was still green.

“But mommy always wears nice clothes to go to work!”

“Yes, but it’s “bring your kid to work” day, not “make your kid work for you” day.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Lili said as soon as they were on the other side.

Oliver turned to face her, hoping she hadn’t forgotten something at home - he was running short on time enough as it was. Even if he was now a stay-at-home dad, his days were usually quite full. He had just dropped off Jamie at school, and was supposed to pick up Alex at the mansion before heading to the the pediatrician with him to get some of his vaccine shots.

“Ugh,” Lili groaned as she unabashedly lifted her skirt, her little fingers working hard to get rid of the itchy feeling. “You think mom will let me take them off when I’m inside?”

“Probably, if it’s warm enough,” Oliver replied with a smile before straightening her dress and patting her butt. “I also put a pair of leggings in your bag, just in case.”

“How did you know??”

“Well, because you’re your mom’s daughter and your mom doesn’t really like tights either.”

“How do you know mom doesn’t like them either?”

“Because she’s my wife and that’s part of my job as a husband to know these kinds of things.”

He went to take hold of her hand again, only stopping when he saw Lili’s attention was directed upward. He followed her gaze, not seeing anything in particular and he gently pulled on her hand to get her to move.

“Daddy, why is Granny’s family name on top of the building?” Lili asked as she blindly followed him, her eyes still glued to to the top of Felicity’s building.

Oliver smiled, glancing up at the logo that was now so familiar to him. Lili had probably never realized what was written on top of it before. “Well… you remember the story of how mommy became the big boss, right?”

“Yes.”

“We merged my company and mommy’s company.”

“Like a marriage, yes.” Lili nodded seriously as she followed him through the main entrance.

“Exactly. We had to decide on a new name and… your mom had worked so hard for the two companies, that we all thought it made the most sense for her to have her name there. So everyone would know too.”

“But mom’s last name is Queen. Like me and Jamie and Alex and you.”

“She decided to have the same last name when we got married.”

“And she never wanted to change the company’s name afterwards? You guys have been married for a long time now.”

Oliver smiled softly as he kneeled down, straightening Lili’s ponytail. “I know. And I’m really happy we all have the same last name. But this company is a big deal, you know. Mom is a really important person for a lot of people. And she became that important person way before we got married. Every time she sees the name of her company, it reminds her of how hard she worked to get here. It reminds your Granny how every sacrifice was worth it. And it reminds me I married a strong, fierce woman and I’m a very, very lucky man she gave me three beautiful children. Smoak women are quite something, and now the whole world knows it too.”

“It really is a big building,” Lili said as she took in her surroundings, her eyes stopping on the huge logo behind the reception desk.

“Yup. The other one is just as big but you will only get to visit it when you’re a little older.”

Felicity had decided that it would be more interesting for Lili to see their engineering and technology departments rather than spend their entire day with executives mostly doing paperwork, which meant Oliver was bringing their daughter into the old QC headquarters.

It still felt a little weird to him to walk inside that specific building, the one built by his dad and grandfather, a company he used to co-lead and which now only belonged to his wife. It seemed like a lifetime ago when he was the young, spoiled boy freshly out of Princeton with a privileged and immature attitude.

Oliver smiled when they passed security and stopped at the elevators, Lili rushing to press the call button.

“You know… this is where I met your mom.”

“I know. She was your secretary.”

“No, I mean… this exact spot.”

Lili paused, her eyes wide, looking at the floor then back at him. “Right here?”

“Well… a few feet away,” he replied, pointing to the corner they had just rounded. “It’s also where I asked her to marry me.”

“And she said yes.”

Oliver chuckled. “Obviously.”

“Why did you stop working here, daddy?”

“Well… your mom didn’t really need me anymore and I wanted to do something for Starling. Help make it a better place for you and your brothers and all the other children.”

“But you stopped that too.”

Oliver smiled as they stepped inside the elevator. “Yes, because I felt like I had done a good enough job and my children were growing a little too fast. I wanted more time with you, your brothers and mom. You don’t like having me home most of the time?”

“Yes. But all the mothers at school look at you funny when you pick us up.”

Tilting his head, Oliver looked at his daughter, a frown growing on his face. “What do you mean?”

“I think they have a crush on you. I told one lady that it was pointless because you only have room for two women in your life and that’s mom and me so I think they’re gonna stop now,” Lili explained with a little shrug.

His mouth opened in baffled surprise. He had never really paid attention to anything, or anyone, apart from his children whenever he would either drop them off or pick them up at school - the only exception being their teachers obviously, whenever he needed to talk with them. He wasn’t sure he really liked the idea that his daughter could hear things about him, but he couldn’t deny he liked the calm certainty in her words.

The elevator ding informed him they had arrived at Felicity’s floor - which was the one of his old office - and he held the door open so Lili could walk through. They had remodeled most of the building the year before and Felicity had had to occupy his former office for a few months, then had eventually decided to stay there. “What exactly do they say?”

He wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to ask, but was aware that sometimes, people could spread lies and rumors and he didn’t want his daughter to be hurt.

“That you’re very handsome and that mommy is very lucky, mostly. Oh and also that they wish you were still mayor so they’d see you in a suit more often.”

OK, so nothing so bad, actually.

“Oh my sweet Lord, look at you!” Felicity’s secretary, Tessa, said with a large smile as soon as they entered the office. “You’re the spitting image of your mom! I already knew from the pictures, but I haven't seen you in the flesh in a while.”

Oliver beamed, glancing at his daughter. She looked more and more like Felicity, especially today with her ponytail and her proper little dress.

“But I have daddy’s eyes,” Lili said proudly.

Tessa stood up from her desk and went to crouch in front of Lili. “That you do. Your mother is just finishing an important phone call, then she made sure she had the entire day free for you. If you want to wait with me, I can show you her agenda. She is a very busy woman, your mom.”

Lili eyed Oliver who smiled reassuringly. Tessa had been Felicity’s secretary for quite a while now. When Daniela had quit to go back to school and earn a degree in Human Resources, it had taken a few candidates before Felicity had been able to find someone she could rely on as much as she had on the woman who had eventually become one of her closest friends.

Even though the company was Felicity’s, and he still owned shares along with Thea and his mother, they had always kept their children away from it, not willing to repeat the mistakes Oliver’s parents had made. If any of their kids ever wanted to be involved with it, it would come from them. And they would have to earn their spot.

“Alright, sweetpea. I have to go get Alex,” Oliver said before leaning down to give her a big hug. “You be nice with Tessa and with mom and I’ll have fresh cookies waiting for you when you come home, deal?”

“With chocolate chips?”

“Yes.”

“Deal.” Lili nodded seriously then followed Tessa, climbing on the chair the secretary had vacated.

Oliver smiled, feeling a lump growing in his throat when he realized his daughter was sitting in exactly the same spot her mother had occupied when she had been his executive assistant. She had the same focused, driven look he had seen so many times on Felicity.

His mini Girl Wednesday.

  


***

  


Felicity smiled when she saw Lili deep in talk with Tessa, her secretary. She noticed right away the dark grey dress she was wearing and how her hair was neatly tied in a ponytail.

Lili had been very enthusiastic at the prospect of spending the day with Felicity. The “bring your kid to work” day had been implemented before she had kids herself, but with the amount of employees, it wasn’t possible to decide on one day per year. There would be hundreds of children running everywhere. Instead, she had let her employees pick when they would bring their child to work. Her hope was that they would see their parents involved in the company and might be interested in joining, or learning more about STEM. A few children now were also interns so all in all, the program was working quite well in her opinion.

She had waited until Lili was old enough, or seemed interested enough to offer her the possibility to spend the day with her.

“I see you’re already busy,” she said as she approached her secretary’s desk.

“Miss Tessa was showing me that you’re very busy,” Lili said, pointing towards what looked like Felicity’s agenda.

“Your mom has a lot of responsibilities,” Tessa said with a nod.

“So does Tessa, actually.” Felicity reached out her hand to help her daughter off the chair. “We need to let her work and I have a lot of things planned for us.”

“Are we going to sign papers?”

“Well, if you want to, this afternoon you can help me with the mail. I have a pile of letters I need to sign, I could use a hand.”

“I brought my pencil case. And daddy gave me a new notebook.” Felicity shared an amused look with Tessa as Lili startled to shuffle through her backpack, dropping a notebook on the floor, along with what looked like a pair of leggings. “Daddy said I could change because my tights are itchy.”

“If daddy said you could…” Felicity trailed off in a chuckle.

She took Lili to her office so she could change and leave her backpack, then the two of them went on a tour of the building. Felicity showed her the storage rooms with their old, defective prototypes that hadn’t quite worked out, explaining how a big portion of the company’s business was about helping people with disabilities and providing them with artificial limbs, among other things.

They also spent quite a good amount of time in their aerospace department, and one of the engineers took the time to explain to Lili exactly how satellites worked.

For lunch, they went to the cafeteria where most of her employees stopped by their table, either to comment on how much her daughter looked like her or to explain what their position was in the company.

“And all these people work for you?” Lili eventually asked as she sat back at the table after getting an ice cream for dessert.

“Well, technically, they work for the company.”

“But you’re the big boss?”

“Yes. That doesn’t mean they have to do everything I say or that I can do everything I want.”

“Yes, the board has to agree,” Lili nodded, clearly remembering Felicity’s explanations. “Michael said you were a super boss.”

“Michael?”

“Yes, the one who gave me the ice cream? He said people really like working here.”

Felicity smiled, secretly pleased that Smoak Tech employees felt that way about her leadership. “It’s because I really like what I do and I want everyone around me to like it too.”

“And it helps people too!”

“I hope so.”

“I didn’t know some people sometimes lose an arm or a leg. I couldn’t ride my bicycle if it happened to me, I still can’t only use one hand. But even if it happens, they can have a new arm thanks to you.”

“Not just thanks to me, you saw how many people work really hard.” Felicity leaned in with a napkin, getting rid of the chocolate ice cream on the corner of Lili’s lips.

“Everybody says I look just like you. I told daddy it was a good outfit choice.”

“You look very professional.”

“But he said I had to wear something warm underneath and I hate tights. Daddy said you hate them too.”

“I do,” Felicity whispered conspiratorially. “Your Granny as well.”

“Smoak women don’t like tights,” Lili said seriously, or as seriously as could be with a spoonful of chocolate ice cream shoved in her mouth.

Felicity laughed. “Smoak women don’t like tights.”

“Has Granny come here already?”

“Yes. Several times, actually. Sometimes she stops by so we can have lunch together.”

Lili licked her spoon clean then grabbed the napkin to wipe her mouth. “Is she proud? To have her name on a big building?”

“I think so, yes.” Felicity pinched her lips, remembering the way her mother had held her tight the first time she had visited her after their company had been rebranded. She hadn’t said much but it had been obvious in her eyes that it touched her to see her and Felicity’s last name shining bright. “It wasn’t easy for her to raise me all alone, you know.”

“Because your dad left you?”

“Yes. That means we didn’t have a lot of money and she had to work really, really hard to make sure I had everything I needed. We didn’t live in a big house like ours, or have several cars, or even a garden. She sacrificed a lot so I could go to a good school and have a good job.”

Becoming a mother herself had really opened her eyes to how hard it must have been for her own mom. Oliver was an amazing dad, completely hands-on, and they probably would never have to worry about money or how to pay for their kids’ educations. She loved that she and Oliver were able to offer that security to their children, and that she made more than enough money to allow him to be a stay-at-home dad, something that clearly made him happy.

She loved her children more than anything in the world, and sometimes that love was almost scary in its intensity, but she was convinced she was a better mother, a better wife, and a more accomplished woman by leading Smoak Tech, even if that meant she sometimes had to sacrifice some family moments. Oliver was made to be a dad, and liked the quietness of their home, while she needed challenges outside of domesticity. It hadn’t been easy to reconcile both at first, and she still sometimes struggled and felt guilty when her job would take her away for several days, but she always made sure to have plenty of time for her family afterwards. And nothing could ever compare to seeing her children happy, balanced and healthy and knowing what she was doing might one day be her legacy to them.

For the first time though, she tried to see her job through the eyes of a seven year-old girl. Everything that was her normal must seem so big and complicated for a child, and to be quite honest, the twenty year-old girl who had first walked inside this building had also been impressed. And the company now was twice as big as it used to be back then, but she had been there to see that growth, had actually nurtured it and everything was so familiar to her now that she almost forgot how lucky she was to do a job she loved so much, to be able to really make a difference in the world.

The rest of the day was spent mostly in her office, where Tessa had prepared a pile of congratulatory letters to be signed and sent to their employees or partners who had had a child or had gotten married. Tessa had been thoughtful enough to add Lili’s name so her daughter got the chance to sign with her clumsy handwriting as well.

When Oliver arrived to pick Lili up, she was in the adjoining conference room, focused on a drawing of a little girl with an artificial leg, saying she needed to prepare “a file” to ask her teacher if her class could visit Smoak Tech too.

Felicity smiled at him as he silently walked across her office to drop a kiss on her lips. He was wearing a simple pair of jeans and a brown leather jacket over a henley and he looked good enough to eat. “Hi.”

“Hey, there. How did it go?”

“Good. Better than good actually. And you? Did Alex get his vaccines?”

“Yup. Everything is in order. He’s home with your mom, she stopped by to bring us some chicken soup. I asked her to stay for dinner, I hope it’s OK?”

“Sure. I still have a couple hours of work, I should be home by six.”

“She got rid of her tights, didn’t she?” Oliver asked as he picked up the tights their daughter had abandoned on a chair.

“First thing she did.”

“Stubborn little thing. I told her to wear pants.” Oliver shook his head. “I’ll get out of your hair, I have to pick up Jamie.”

“Give him a big kiss from me.”

“Can I get one just for me?” Oliver asked with a wicked smile, his eyes dropping to her lips.

Felicity stood up, leaning against him as her arms went around his shoulders. “As if I could ever say no to my insanely handsome husband.”

The kiss was slow, languid, the kind of kiss they didn’t really allow themselves anymore, unless they were in their bedroom - or bathroom. Or any remote place really. She smiled halfway into the kiss when she felt Oliver’s large palm on her ass, kneading the flesh like he loved to do. “Mister Queen, I think you’re getting a little worked up.”

“Mrs. Queen, I’ll show you tonight how there is nothing little about me,” he whispered, nibbling on her lower lip. “And I’m going to make sure the kids spend the rest of the day running around so they’re exhausted tonight and I can have some private time with my incredibly sexy-”

“I’m ready to go home, daddy,” Lili’s voice interrupted them.

Oliver sighed briefly, sharing a regretful smile with Felicity before turning around to face their daughter. “Young lady, you’re a Queen and your mother and I raised you and your brothers well enough to know you do not interrupt people when they’re talking.”

Lili slipped her small purple backpack on. “You guys were kissing, not talking. And I’m not a Queen, daddy.”

Oliver blinked, sharing a quick glance with Felicity who was just as taken aback by her daughter’s words. They watched as their seven year-old walked to the door, Felicity noticing her skirt was stuck in the waistband but before she could say anything, Lili turned around. “I’m a Smoak woman. And Smoak women have important things to do so I’m ready to go home.”

Felicity had to turn around and bite her lips at the way Oliver’s jaw unhinged. Normally she would lecture her daughter about ordering her dad around but she doubted she would be able to keep a straight face.

Oliver eventually shook his head and closed his mouth. “Well… I had a good seven years, I guess.”

“Yup,” Felicity nodded, hiding her smile behind her hand. “It was a good run.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yes, Oliver you had a good run. Lili has dicovered another aspect of her mom and I like to think that this was the moment a spark was born in her. Wanting to be part of that legacy and as the years will go by, it will be more and more obvious. Lili will get a MBA and, as I believe I already spoiled, will be the one taking over once her mom retires, keeping Smoak Tech on its path of success and innovations. She sees it through her child's eyes now for sure, and probably doesn't even think about it seriously, or at least not any more seriously as I did at her age when I wanted to be a teacher (or a singer? Whatever it was lol), but just like for some people, sometimes "you know from the start". Well, this is Lili's start. 
> 
> Oliver and Felicity still obviously enjoy each other very much whenever the kids are not around, so that's good too XD
> 
> I mentionned Daniela again (coincidental. This one-shot was not supposed to be number three, but six. I just wanted to balance the Oliver/Felicity lol), and she did quit her job - not that she didn't like it or anything of the like, but she had managed to save enough money to go back to school and earn a degree that would allow her to find another position. Now does Tommy play a role in that? Kind of. Their relationship was complicated and didn't really evolve in anything serious after Oliver and Felicity's wedding... it took a little longer and the fact that she interned in one of the partner/branch I still don't know for sure of Merlyn Global... weeeell... stuff happened O_O
> 
> I keep mentionning Donna, so far she still hasn't showed up for my muse, but she is very much enjoying life as Granny!
> 
> On this, have a great week <3<3<3


	4. Lazy Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!  
> This one is more on Felicity's side, but it's honestly a family one-shot. It just shows more of what motherhood means to Felicity.
> 
> Big thank you to mysticaldetectivepanda for editing it <3<3<3

 

 

Felicity yawned, snuggling deeper under the blankets. It was Saturday morning and even though she was awake, she really didn’t feel like getting up. She was just starting the third trimester of her pregnancy and craved sleep as much as she craved cupcakes - which was saying a lot.

“Mommy?” Jamie’s small voice reached her, just a few seconds before she felt the bed shift.

She smiled, keeping her eyes closed, and opened her arms wordlessly, letting him nestle against her.

Jamie wasn’t an early bird. Not like Oliver and their daughter. He liked to linger and daydream in bed as much as she did and that was usually what they did during the weekends.

Her fingers started lacing lazily through her son’s hair, listening to his calm, steady breathing and letting the soothing sound lull her back to sleep.

The second time she woke up, she noticed right away that the sun was higher and a quick glance at the alarm clock confirmed that it was way past ten o’clock. Jamie was still beside her, and had obviously been awake for a while, seeing as he was reading one of his favorite books.

Much like her, he was a precocious child and, at the age of three, could already read. Small books and simple sentences obviously, but he was still clearly quite advanced for his age. He was also a quiet, curious child who could spend hours observing things and didn’t feel the need to interact socially, as opposed to Lili who always seemed to seek other children to play with.

“Good morning,” she said as she leaned to press a kiss on his cheek.

Jamie lifted his head. “Morning mommy. Lili and daddy are cooking.”

Frowning, Felicity sniffed the air. “Oh, yes, they are. Banana bread, you think?”

“I love banana bread!”

Felicity grinned. “Then we should go check to see if my nose is correct, shouldn’t we?”

Jamie snapped his book closed and dropped it on the bed, already halfway to the door before Felicity managed to set a single foot on the floor. “Put your slippers on and don’t run on the stairs!”

After a quick stop in the bathroom, she slowly walked down the stairs, smiling when she heard her daughter’s laughter.

Passing the living room, she saw that Jamie was watching cartoons, Pickle snuggled next to him on the couch.

In the kitchen, Oliver was busy pouring something that looked like an egg mixture into muffin pans, Lili standing on a chair next to him and washing fruit in the sink.

Well, washing and eating half of them apparently. Her mouth was covered in red juice and Skype was looking at her with something that could only be described as devotion, sitting on the other side of the chair, a paw gently nudging Lili’s leg in an obvious attempt to get a berry too.

“Saturday brunch?” Felicity asked as she walked into the kitchen.

“Yes!” Lili squealed. “Daddy said we had enough to make banana bread and egg cups and sausages!”

Felicity eyed the banana bread cooling on a rack as she passed by, grabbing a washcloth to clean her daughter’s face. “You’re covered in raspberry juice,” she said with a smile.

“I’ll take it from here, sweetpea,” Oliver said.

“You sure you can handle everything?” Lili asked in a serious voice.

Felicity hid her smile behind her hand at the concern their daughter showed about her father’s ability to wash a handful of berries.

“Positive,” Oliver answered just as seriously.

“Jamie is watching cartoons. We’ll call you when it’s ready,” Felicity added, helping her down from the chair.

Oliver waited until they were alone before pulling her in his arms, his mouth already seeking hers. The kiss was very much PG-13 but they also took the time to make it more than a simple peck.

His hand gently rubbed her belly. “Did you sleep OK?”

“Yes. I don’t remember being this tired for Jamie or Lili.”

“I guess every pregnancy really is different.”

While Oliver slid the egg cups in the oven, she poured herself a glass of freshly pressed juice. “Mmmh. It’s good. What did you put in it?”

“Lili picked. Carrots, apples, raspberries and a lemon.”

“You still haven’t managed to convince her to put some spinach in it?”

“Nope,” Oliver said with a small grin as he started to load the dishwasher. “I’m not losing hope, though.”

“You did manage to convince me, after all.”

“I did,” Oliver murmured as circled her waist and pulled her close to him. Felicity put her glass down on the counter, letting her arms slide over his shoulders until she could stroke the back of his neck. “You know, you’re really sexy this morning.”

She snorted, glancing at the extra large T-shirt she was wearing over her pajama pants. “Sure am.”

“I’m thinking we could take the kids to the indoor park, exhaust them and then we come back home for a nap and…” Oliver trailed off, his lips gently tracing kisses along her jaw.

“And then…”

“Well, you know… we could also take a nap. An active one, that is.”

“I would love to but… we promised Saran we would go to her game, remember?”

“Damn. I forgot,” Oliver sighed in her neck, pressing one last kiss on the tender skin under her ear. “Tonight?”

“Are we making sex appointments now?”

Oliver grinned as he touched his lips to hers. “Isn’t that what most parents have to do?”

Her laugh was muffled by his mouth and then she forgot about pretty much everything as they started making out in their kitchen like a couple of teenagers.

It wasn’t easy for them to still have time for each other, between two extremely demanding jobs, two children and a third one on the way. Felicity had been forced to slow down a little, this pregnancy harder on her than the other two. Oliver wasn’t going to run for a third term, but he still had about a year before handing the office to his successor. They knew the situation would be much easier to handle eventually and mostly relied on their support system for now.

“Ew.”

Felicity huffed out a laugh as Oliver pulled away at their son’s sound of disgust. “Jamie…”

“Dad, it’s gross.”

“What do you want, young man?” Felicity asked as she stepped out of Oliver’s embrace, trying to ignore his little sigh of disappointment.

“I’m hungry.”

“It should be ready in less than ten minutes,” Oliver said after checking on the egg cups. “Why don’t you go wait with them while I set the table?” he added in a low voice as Jamie walked back to the living room.

“You sure?” she asked, slipping a hand under his T-shirt to stroke his lower back.

“Keep doing that and I’m definitely going to offer something else.”

She smirked as she slowly traced his side then caressed his abs. “Keep that in mind for tonight.”

“Damn it, Mrs Queen. Our children are literally a few feet away.” Oliver grinned, leaning in to nibble on her lower lip.

“Well, if Mr Queen didn’t look so edible, maybe I could behave,” she whispered.

His white T-shirt was doing wonders for his eyes - as usual - and his hair was messy, a little too long, which was how she prefered it anyway. Oliver was like good wine: he only got more handsome as he grew older.

She honestly couldn’t wait to see how he would rock the salt and pepper hair style.

“Go keep our kids company before I do something that might scar them for life,” he murmured eventually as he tore his lips away. He slapped her butt when she turned around and she had to bite back her smile at the knowledge that, six months pregnant or not, thirteen years after having met or not, she still had it in her to tempt her husband.

Sometimes, a woman just needed the reassurance, she thought as she walked inside the living room.

It was late December, and their tree was lit, a fire already burning in the chimney.

She sat down on the couch between Lili and Jamie and they both snuggled into her side, resting their little faces above her swollen belly. They liked to feel the baby kick, and she liked having her three children so close to her.

Being a mother had never been a goal for her when she had been younger. Even at first with Oliver, it had been something she couldn’t really see for herself. It had taken a few years for the desire to grow in her, to really grow and take shape, in order to make sure a family really was what she wanted and not just the classic “next logical step”. Once Lili had arrived, there had been struggles obviously. She was very much inexperienced with newborns, and Oliver wasn’t really much better. But their daughter really cemented their love, in a way she would have never imagined. Starting a family with Oliver had been one of the best decisions she had ever made, and she couldn’t wait until their little number three would join them.

It was another boy, something they had found out two months ago. She had secretly been relieved because Lili and Oliver shared such a fusional relationship, she had been a little worried about having another daughter. Not that Oliver didn’t have enough love for a hundred other children. They’d probably end up with twelve kids or so if it was only up to him. But Lili was a little possessive of her dad.

And Felicity loved the idea of having another mini Oliver, truth be told.

“Mom?” Jamie asked suddenly, lifting his head from her stomach.

“Yes, honey?”

“Will I have to share my toys with the baby once he’s there since it’s a boy?”

“He will be too small to play with your toys. When he grows older, you’ll have to share, but so will Lili.”

“Even my Chrismukkah presents?”

“Well, your presents will always be yours. But you also have to share them a little.”

“I had to share my stuff with you, Jamie,” Lili said.

“That also means, when the baby will be old enough, you get someone else to play with.”

“I guess,” Jamie said, his tone clearly unconvinced. “Lili said that when the baby is here, you will be very busy with him.”

“Yes. Babies need a lot of attention. That doesn’t mean I won’t have time for you or your sister. Same goes for your dad. That’s also why we got you guys a kitten, by the way. So you’d have another companion when we have to take care of your little brother.”

They had started to campaign for a cat last summer, just before she had found out she was pregnant. Oliver had caved in in a matter of weeks, saying it might be good for them to have another pet, and it was much better to have it before baby number three joined them.

“But he will sleep in your room.”

“No, he won’t. You saw daddy and Uncle John transform the upstairs office into a nursery, Jamie.”

“But Lili said when I was a baby, I slept in your bed. So he’s gonna sleep in your bed.”

“It’s true, mommy. There are pictures,” Lili added.

Felicity smiled. “Babies sleep a lot. They actually sleep most of the time and sometimes, it happened for the both of you by the way, they fall asleep right after their bottle and if they’re comfortable, parents don’t want to move them.”

“So I’ll still be allowed to come in your bed during the weekends?”

“Of course. But only when daddy is up, you know the rule.”

“Yes. If daddy and mommy are still asleep, I have to wait in my room. Also if they’re playing under the sheets.”

Felicity felt her cheeks heating up as she remembered when Jamie had caught them during sex, a few months ago. Fortunately, he was still young enough to not question why mom and dad were playing naked.

“Not if we’re sick, though,” Lili added. “Or if we had a nightmare. Or if we peed in our bed. Then we’re allowed.”

“That’s right. You guys think you will be able to teach all of that to your little brother?”

Jamie looked at her. “It’s our job?”

Pinching her lips, Felicity bit back her laugh. “Not exactly, but mommy and daddy could use your help.”

“I will teach him how to use the potty,” Jamie decided, nodding his head seriously.

“That’s… very nice of you,” Felicity said with a smile just as Oliver shouted that brunch was ready.

Her children jumped from the couch and rushed to the kitchen, followed by Pickle and Skype and she pushed herself up, following at a much slower pace. She took her place next to Oliver at the kitchen table, and smiled in gratitude when he handed her a plate with two egg cups and a couple turkey sausages.

She sliced the warm banana bread, buttering a piece for Jamie, handing a plain one to Lili.

“Milk, juice or water?” Oliver asked as he opened the fridge.

“Juice!” Jamie said before shoving a huge piece of banana bread in his mouth.

“Water,” Lili and Felicity both said at the same time.

Usually she would have a cup of coffee, but even though she could still allow herself a cup once in a while, she prefered to keep the treat for weekdays, when she really needed the caffeine kick.

“Anyone want a bagel?” Oliver asked as he opened a bag, glancing at her innocently.

Felicity smiled as she nodded, feeling a little blush growing on her cheeks. It was a little silly but despite all these years, bagels with cream cheese still managed to make her giddy. It was the breakfast they had shared the most when they had first gotten together and Oliver still often made her breakfast in bed, with a simple bagel and a cup of fresh fruit. It was their little habit.

Her perfect man, who made perfect bagels and had given her the most perfect family.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They have such a cute little family, don't they?? <3<3<3
> 
> And hum yes, Oliver and Felicity are still very much active in the bedroom O_O
> 
> You're going to see a little more of Alex in a couple chapters.


	5. Number Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!  
> This one starts the day after Jamie is born and we see... it might not be that easy for Lili to deal with the competition XD
> 
> Big thank you to mysticaldetectivepanda who edited it <3<3<3

 

Oliver opened the passenger door to unbuckle Lili. “You ready to go see mommy and your little brother?” he asked in a soft voice as he looked for her shoes, which she had kicked off as usual. “Young lady, you need to keep your shoes on.”

She let out a giggle as he tickled the sole of her foot before tying the tiny pair of purple Converse. He dropped a loud kiss on her cheek, lifting her up in his arms and grabbing the bag he had packed with what he called “Lili necessities” - in reality, a snack, some water, and a few toys. He was going to spend the major part of the day at the hospital with Felicity and James, their son who had joined them not even twenty-four hours earlier. Lili’s godfather, Dig, would pick her up for lunch and had planned a fun day to give time for Oliver and Felicity to focus a little on their little boy without Lili feeling left out.

“Almost three years ago, you were born in this hospital too, you know,” Oliver said as he made his way to the entrance, Lili on his hip.

Lili didn’t reply, too busy taking in the unusual surroundings as Oliver walked inside the little shop to get some flowers for Felicity. “You want to pick out a present for mommy?”

“And for me?” Lili asked.

“You don’t need…” Oliver sighed at the puppy eyes his daughter was giving him. He lowered her to the floor and gently caressed her soft hair. “Alright, but just one, and small, OK? You have to be able to carry it and still hold my hand.”

He still remembered the giant teddy bear she had made him buy when they had visited Tommy after his appendectomy.

Not that Felicity had believed him when he had explained that Lili had blackmailed him.

It might have had to do with the fact that their daughter was only one year old at the time and couldn’t talk yet.

Still, he had seen it in her eyes that he wouldn’t get his evening cuddle if he said no.

Fifteen minutes later, he was finally able to go to the cashier and pay for the bouquet of red roses, a plush giraffe and the pink balloon Lili had insisted was for mommy - despite him trying to explain that mommy had given birth to a boy, and the balloon stated clearly  _ Congratulations, it’s a girl! _

“Hello, did you get everything you-” the cashier stopped mid-sentence when she looked at him. “Oh, Mayor Hottie! I mean Mayor Queen,” she corrected, her cheeks flaming up as her eyes grew to the size of saucers. “I hum… I see you have…. Oh, did Mrs Queen give birth? And it’s another girl? Congratulations!”

Oliver bit back a smile, deciding to ignore the ridiculous nickname the media had come up with for him. Felicity already had a field day every time she would see it in the papers. “Thank you. But it’s actually a boy. My daughter picked the balloon and I’m afraid details such as the gender of her sibling didn’t play a big part in her decision.”

“Aww, now you have one of each! Are you happy to have a baby brother, honey?” The cashier asked while ringing up Oliver’s purchases.

Lili looked at the young woman then burrowed her face in Oliver’s leg, her small arms circling his knee.

“I’m sorry. Sometimes she likes to play shy,” Oliver apologized before kneeling down. “Lili, when someone asks you a question, it’s not polite to ignore them.”

Lili nodded, then murmured, “I wanted a panda but daddy said no. And now I’m gonna have to share my toys with a boy.”

The cashier laughed as she asked if Oliver needed a bag. He declined, handing the giraffe to Lili and grabbing the balloon and the roses in one hand. “We already have two dogs, I think that’s more than enough when it comes to pets. And you still have a bit of time before James is old enough to play with your toys.”

“But daddy, boys have cooties! Saran told me!”

“Sweetpea, I’m a boy. And I don’t have cooties, do I?”

Lili frowned as they stopped in front of the elevator. “You’re not a boy. You’re daddy.”

“But I’m also a boy. Like mom is a girl.”

“So now we’re gonna have two boys?” Lili said with a gasp. “Why do we need two boys?”

Oliver pinched his lips and shared an amused look with a doctor in the elevator. “Because mommy and daddy love you soooo much that they wanted another child as perfect as you and it turned out it was a boy.”

“How can he be as perfect as me if he’s a boy?”

_ God damn it, Felicity, did you really have to pass your sassiness to our daughter? _

“Boys can be perfect too.” Oliver stopped when they reached Felicity’s room, and crouched down to be at eye level with his daughter. “Sweetheart, I know it’s a big change. But I love you and mommy loves you and nothing will ever change that, whether we have another baby or not. You will always be my princess, and our first child, and the one who made mom and dad a real family. You love your godmother don’t you?”

Lili’s face lit up. “Yes! Aunt Thea reads the best stories!”

“Well, she is my little sister, like James will be your little brother. And I’m really, really happy I had a sibling when I grew up. You’ll always have someone to talk to when you grow up.”

“... OK. I still would have preferred a panda.”

“I know, baby girl. But pandas are happier when they live with their families. Now give me a big hug,” Oliver added, opening his arms. Lili stepped in his embrace, her small arms going around his neck as she gave him a wet kiss on the cheek.

Oliver knew it would be an adjustment for Lili. She had been an only child for almost three years and was used to having her parents’ unconditional attention at all times. Now she would have to share.

Which was good for her in the long term because he knew he was spoiling her a little too much.

He and Felicity had had several long conversations about their family growing, and they had sometimes included Lili as well to prepare her for the changes in their household.

Felicity was awake when they walked into the room, James in his little bassinet by her bed.

“My baby girl,” she exclaimed when she saw Lili rushing to her.

Oliver helped their daughter on the bed, softly reminding her to be gentle with mommy.

“I missed you so much,” Felicity said as she peppered kisses all over Lili’s head.

“I missed you too. I watched Frozen with Granny yesterday night and when I woke up, daddy had gotten donuts for breakfast.”

“Did he now?” Felicity asked in awe. “Aren’t you a lucky girl? Donuts for breakfast in the middle of the week!”

Lili nodded. “I had a big one with raspberry inside and then a small one with chocolate. But daddy said it was eskeptional. That means it’s not gonna happen a lot and it was to celebrate my little brother being born.”

“Exceptional, yes, of course,” Felicity corrected with a little smile.

Oliver let his wife and daughter share a little one-on-one while he peeked at his newborn son, who was fast asleep. His hair was slightly darker than Lili’s had been and he was also a little smaller, which was normal since he had arrived a week earlier than expected. He was healthy, so was his mother and that was all that really mattered to him.

“I just nursed him,” Felicity said as Lili snuggled to her side. “He should be out for a couple hours at least.”

Oliver nodded as he fastened the balloon to Felicity’s bed.

“Hum… should I assume you let our daughter pick?” she asked with a grin.

“Yup.”

“I like pink,” Lili said, showing off her brand new giraffe, which had a pink bow around her neck.

Oliver got rid of his jacket then helped Lili out of hers as well, also taking off her shoes since she had made herself comfortable on Felicity’s bed. He filled a vase with water for the flowers, absently listening to his girls chatting about giraffes and pandas.

It took a little bit of convincing on Felicity’s part for Lili to agree to leave her embrace for a few minutes so she could use the shower. Oliver tried to distract her by showing her James in his bassinet but she didn’t seem to care much.

Cartoons on her mother’s tablet, on the other hand, did the trick.

Satisfied that his daughter was busy, Oliver allowed himself to gaze at his son.

He had a son. Somehow, it shouldn’t have felt different from having a daughter, but it did. It was almost like a completely different relationship was already forming - or maybe it would have been the same way with another girl, each child being different and making fatherhood different as well.

Truth be told, he was borderline giddy at the idea to get back to the diaper and bottle feeding stage. He was now much more comfortable in his role as mayor, while he had only been starting when Lili had joined them, and knew it would be an easier transition this time around.

“You know, he hasn’t changed much since last night,” Felicity murmured as she circled his waist with her arms. It was quite telling that he hadn’t even realized she was out of the bathroom.

“I know,” he said with a smile. “It’s just… they grow up so fast, you know? It feels like yesterday I was battling with the baby sling for Lili and now, Number Two is here.”

He turned around to face his wife, quickly checking to make sure Lili was still busy on the tablet. “You did an amazing job. Again.”

“Well,” Felicity murmured with a soft smile. “I had help.”

Leaning in, he pressed a gentle kiss against her lips, his hands cradling her face. “I love you so much. With every big step we take, I love you even more. I didn’t even think that was possible.”

“Please keep that in mind for when I start moaning and bitching about that damn baby weight I can’t get rid off,” she said with a small chuckle. “How did it go with Lili?” she added in a low voice.

“Good. She’s not the most enthusiastic about it, but we were expecting that. Also you leaving in a rush yesterday didn’t help but she wasn’t fussy and your mom said she was sweet as can be last night.”

“That’s great. I was a little worried, to be honest. It can’t be easy to be used to being the one and only baby and then suddenly, a new one arrives.”

Oliver nodded, remembering how he had felt when Thea had been born - and he had been much older back then. “I’m sure she’ll adjust.”  
  
  


The first few days, Lili did adjust. She had her daddy all to herself and had been allowed to sleep in her parents’ bed. Oliver had even taken her to work one morning when he had no meeting planned, and the rest of the time had been spent with her godparents or grandmothers.

Once Felicity and James had come home, though, things had been a little more difficult. The night feedings were taking a toll on Oliver and Felicity and a newborn needed a lot of attention. They tried to always save a little bit of time for their daughter too but there was no denying they were usually exhausted as soon as they were done with dinner. Still, there had been no drama, apart from a tantrum or two, which wasn’t unusual for a three year-old.

It all changed one evening, when Oliver was busy giving James his bath. Felicity was having dinner with Lili so she could nurse her son afterwards and let Oliver enjoy his meal. At first, Lili had complained about the carrots she was supposed to eat. And the next thing he knew, there was loud screaming and crying coming from the kitchen as he was buttoning James’ pajamas.

Holding his son protectively against his chest, he went downstairs, finding Felicity cleaning up food from the floor, and Lili facing the corner, loud, angry sobs escaping her. If Felicity hadn’t seemed on the verge of tears too, he would have laughed at the way Skype was sitting right next to Lili, facing the wall as well as if he had been grounded too.

Lili turned around as soon as she heard her father in the room, only to be stopped by a sharp “No!” from Felicity. The cries got even louder, and it was hard for Oliver to ignore his daughter’s sobs, but the anger he could see on his wife’s face was enough to convince him to not intervene.

Instead, he walked to Felicity.

“Are you OK?” Oliver asked softly. “Do you want me to take over?”

“No, it’s fine,” Felicity said with a sigh as she filled a bucket with water. “Your daughter said she didn’t want to eat until you were here, I told her it would be too late for her and then she threw her plate on the floor.”

Oliver’s eyebrows rose. Yes, Lili sometimes had tantrums, but they mostly involved her stomping her way to her bedroom, definitely not throwing her dinner.

“Daddy,” Lili cried at that moment.

“I told you, you’re not leaving the corner until you’ve calmed down,” Felicity said in a calm, collected tone, even though Oliver could see her hands were shaking as she quickly swept the floor.

The commotion was too much for James who started crying too and Felicity stopped, leaning against the mop with her eyes closed in what was an obvious attempt to gather herself.

“Why don’t you go in the living room and nurse James. Sit down, relax, I’ll take it from here,” Oliver said in a murmur, his free hand pulling her snug against him. Felicity sniffled, nodding against his chest, but she didn’t move right away, even though her son’s cries must have been loud seeing her position right next to him. When she eventually pulled away, there was a small shaky smile on her lips as she took James from his arms and pressed a small kiss on his head.

Oliver finished tidying up the kitchen, giving Lili the time to get over her tantrum as he sat down in front of his own dinner. He didn’t like the tension in the house but was also aware it was best to let everyone calm down first. Eventually, Lili sniffled and snuggled with Skype just as he was about to finish his plate.

“Are you hungry?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Alright, come to the table, I’ll set you another plate.”

He made sure she was properly seated in her booster seat and that the food was hot enough, then did the washing up, knowing it was important to not let her think that by doing what she had done, she would get him to sit at the table with her, which had been the reason for the whole breakdown in the first place. When Lili was done, he sent her to the playroom, saying he would come and get her when it was time for bed.

By the time he finally walked into the living room, Felicity was burping James. He could see her eyes were red and puffy and he knew the scene had been hard for her. Between the pregnancy, the birth, the physical and emotional exhaustion, Felicity wasn’t having an easy time dealing with two young children. Her doctor had also told her she probably suffered from a mild case of postpartum depression.

“Are you OK?” he asked as he sat next to her. “Lili ate, then I sent her to the playroom.”

“Yes. I’m just… I’m so tired and it was like the last straw. I just wanted to eat and then nurse James and go to bed.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll talk to Lili.”

“No. I will talk to her. I’m the one who grounded her first.”

“I thought she was dealing well with James being there.”

“Me too. I guess she was bottling things up?”

“It’s still not acceptable for her to do this kind of thing.”

“I know, Oliver. But I’m here all day and she sees me a lot, or we take naps together, but you are away most of the day and then when you’re home she has to share you and she’s having a hard time with that.”

Oliver winced, feeling guilty. “I’m trying.”

Felicity shook her head. “Oh, honey, no. That’s not… You’re doing amazing, for the three of us. You can’t possibly do more. But Lili has been used to being your little princess and now… not so much. I know it’s hard for her.”

“We explained to her several times that babies need a lot of attention and help but that things will eventually get better. I don’t know what else we could do.” Oliver sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Maybe you should decide on a day when you and Lili get to do something, just the two of you. Something she loves, out of the house? Something only big girls can do with their dad, so she can see how it’s nice to not be the baby anymore?”

“You think it could help? I don’t want you to have to be burdened even more, especially when you’ll go back to work.”

“You know your mother would love to have James a little more, we can always arrange that if it becomes too hard for us once I head back to work. We need to find a new balance and Lili has to find her new place too.”

Felicity transferred James into his arms once he had burped and went to get Lili from the playroom. It took more than ten minutes, during which he assumed his wife was having a lengthy talk with their daughter, then they were both back, hand in hand.

Felicity sat Lili on an ottoman, facing the two of them. She seemed a little ashamed, her eyes avoiding Oliver’s, which he took as a good sign: she understood her behavior wasn’t acceptable.

“Sweetheart, why did you throw the plate on the floor?” Felicity asked once she was back next to Oliver.

“Because you said daddy wouldn’t do the plane thingy with me.”

“Why couldn’t I do the plane thingy with you?” Oliver asked.

“Because you were giving Jamie his bath.”

“Right. I was taking care of your little brother. You know he can’t do things on his own, like you can. You can eat by yourself, but James always needs one of us. Mommy and I are trying very hard to make sure we still have time for you but Lili, you have to understand that sometimes we can’t be at two places at the same time.”

Lili nodded.

“Mommy and I have talked about your behavior,” Oliver continued when she remained silent.

“Am I grounded?”

“You were already grounded, you’re not going to be punished twice. We understand it’s not easy for you and you are used to having me around a little more. How would you feel if we decided that one day of the week, we would do something just the two of us? Outside of the house, we could go to the movies, or the pool, and the indoor park for instance.”

“Just you and me? Not Jamie?”

“Not Jamie.”

“But… what about mommy?”

“Mommy would stay home.”

“But maybe we could also have a girl day once a week,” Felicity added with a soft smile. “We could do all the things boys don’t really like to do.”

“And I could choose what we would do?”

“Yes. But it has to be reasonable. We can’t go to Disneyland for a few hours, sweetpea. And it will be a few hours, not the entire day because mommy and daddy have to go to work too.”

“We could go see the dancers?” Lili asked, her voice getting higher and betraying her enthusiasm. Oliver knew that, ever since the day they had gone to pick up Saran after her dancing classes, Lili had been fascinated by the older girls in their tutus.

“Yes, we could go see the dancers,” Felicity replied, sharing a quick relieved glance with him.

The situation seemed to be on the path to being resolved. Hopefully, making time outside of their home would be enough to convince Lili that having a little brother didn’t mean her parents cared less. 

 

Little did he know, the daddy-daughter days would go on much longer than he had thought, and her brothers eventually also wanted a special time with each of their parents. It hadn’t been easy schedule-wise, but the beaming smile he could see on his children’s faces every time he would pick them up after school was more than worth it.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is how the daddy-daughter days started. It wasn't easy for Lili to learn how to share her parents' love and attention (cough, especially daddy's lol), which I think is the most normal reaction for a toddler.  
> Good thing Skype was there for moral support though XD


	6. Manflu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!  
> So it's been a while, I know lol. Sorry I was deep into some very heavy editing for my first self-published novel, which is now between the hands of my beloved Beta and a few others (err I had Delta, Charlies, the next one should be Echo but that makes me think of Curtis so nope, Foxtrots... OK, go for Foxtrots). SO I figured it was time to post that one-shot mysticaldetectivepanda had edited like two to three months ago (bad Cindy, bad, bad).   
> Someone asked for more Oliver and his sons, I hope this gives you a little of that.  
> Also... married olicity and I don't want to spoil but re-reading it, I remembered why I wrote it in the first place and found myself giggling a little.  
> Happy reading!

 

“Are you sure you’re going to be OK?” Felicity asked for the third time since they had woken up.

“Yes, don’t worry. If things get too crazy I’ll call my mom or yours.” Oliver looked at his wife, seeing the concern on her face. Alex and Jamie were sick, both of them having caught the flu that had been wreaking havoc for the past few weeks. Lili was fortunately apparently immune to the sickness, very much like her mom. His daughter always boasted it was the Smoak Woman inside of them that made them magically ultra-resistant to the disease, disregarding the fact that Oliver never caught it either.

Their sons, on the other hand, seemed to be a little more vulnerable. Despite getting the shot every year, Jamie, at the age of ten, usually got sick nonetheless - although the symptoms seemed less strong than they should be thanks to the vaccine. And Alex seemed to be following in his big brother’s steps.

“Well, the chicken soup I made yesterday is in the fridge. Try to get them to eat a little for lunch,” Felicity explained as she stood up from the table, cleaning the remains of her breakfast. Leaning against the sink, she leisurely sipped her coffee, patiently waiting for their daughter to be ready for school.

“She’s taking more and more time every day, I swear to God,” Felicity mumbled into her mug.

Oliver chuckled, swallowing his spoonful of oatmeal. Being the parent of a teenage girl was something else, and he was quickly learning that his troubles were only beginning - especially when Lili finally made her appearance, her face carefully blank of any expression other than pure innocence.

Which wasn’t enough to hide the fact that her lips didn’t have the same color as usual, or that her eyes somehow seemed different.

It took Oliver a few seconds to catch up and he sent a miserable look to Felicity who just shrugged, obviously battling a smile.

So that’s what his wife and daughter had done the previous day at the mall. Lili had gotten makeup.

“I don’t know if I’m too old or too young for this,” he murmured with a resigned sigh. “You look beautiful, sweet pea,” he added in a higher voice.

Lili beamed at him, red coloring her cheeks at his compliment as she opened the fridge and grabbed her lunch.

Felicity nodded in approval and he grumbled, playing with his food, his appetite suddenly gone.

OK, so maybe he wasn’t exactly enthusiastic at the idea of his baby girl growing up. But he knew it was his problem, not Lili’s. And there was no denying that the glimpses of the woman she would be one day filled him with pride. She was strong, fierce, with a confidence that was already shining through, but mixed with a genuine kindness and concern for others.

“What’s in my sandwich?” she asked, peeking inside the brown bag and efficiently tearing him away from his thoughts.

“Peanut butter and jelly,” Oliver replied, rolling his eyes. Not the healthiest choice, and something that had been banned from their house until Alex had been old enough to understand the danger for him - if he was all Oliver in his facial structure and personality, he had at least inherited three things from his mom: her darker hair, her eyes, and her allergy to nuts. “I also added baby carrots and a tangerine, please eat them too.”

Lili was old enough to pack her own lunch, but as a stay at home dad, it was one of his little pleasures to get everyone ready for their day, and that included meals and snacks.

“I will,” Lili promised before leaning in to press a quick peck on his cheek. “Thanks, dad.”

“Ready, young lady?” Felicity asked before leaving her now empty cup in the sink.

“Yup. Is my top OK with my jeans?”

“It’s perfect. I really like it with those boots.”

“It gives me a little badass look, right?” Lili asked with a proud grin, twirling around in her pair of dark blue jeans and black ankle boots. Her top was a sweater he had bought her the previous week during their daddy-daughter day, a bright pink with a sparkling skull and a crown on top.

“Yes. Oh! You know what would look great with it?!” Felicity asked with a sudden gasp.

“No?”

“My leather jacket! It’s probably one size too big but with your sweater, it should fit perfectly, I usually use it in the spring or fall with a thin blouse underneath.”

Oliver shook his head then stood up, storing what was left of his breakfast in the fridge. He still hated to waste food, probably a lingering effect of his time on the island where he had starved for days. “It’s only February, so get a scarf too,” he told them as they rushed out of the kitchen and headed towards the stairs. “And Felicity, you’re going to be late!”

“It’s OK,” his wife replied, her words almost muffled by the racket their hurried steps made on the stairs.

Barely one minute later, the same sound reached him as he let the dogs back inside after their morning play in the garden.

“Bye dad!”

“Bye honey!”

“Have a good-” He stopped, the front door banging closed telling him they were long gone.

Absently, he patted Pickle’s head, then Skype’s, before wiping the table.

“Daddy?” Alex’s small voice made him turn around and he winced at the paleness of his cheeks.

“You OK? You should be in bed, honey,” Oliver said softly and he kneeled down in front of him, his hand brushing his thick hair backwards. His forehead was warm. “Did mommy and Lili wake you up?”

Alex shook his head, clutching his blankie tighter. “I was already awake. My head hurts.”

“You’re probably getting dehydrated. Let me get you something to drink, OK? Mom went to get some Gatorade this morning.”

Alex nodded, leaning against Pickle, who had approached to offer moral support. “Can I watch cartoons?”

“Yes, buddy, you can.” Oliver grabbed a bottle from the fridge then picked up his son, carrying him to the living room and setting him on the large sectional couch, Pickle joining him and cuddling to his side.

Oliver turned on Disney Channel then went upstairs to get the thermometer and the Tylenol. He checked on Jamie, who was fast asleep, and let Skype in the room, watching as he jumped on the foot of the bed, circling a few times before dropping with a dog sigh, his eyes fixing Oliver as if he was trying to tell him he was going to look after the boy and not to worry.

A small smile tugging at his lips, Oliver went back downstairs, thinking once more that they had really picked the perfect dogs for their family, each one taking the responsibility of a kid.

Dogs and cats, apparently, seeing as Alex was also now cuddling the newest addition to their family - Tardis, the young cat that had one day decided to come live with them the year before. According to their vet, he was now almost two years old, and had still been a kitten when they had adopted him, unable to resist their three children begging them after they had found him leisurely napping on one of their garden chairs two days in a row. One cat or two really didn’t make much of a difference to be honest and at least it gave Minerva - yes, Felicity had suggested both names - a companion.

“102,” Oliver said with a little frown as he checked Alex’s temperature.

“Is it a lot?” Alex asked.

“No. But it’s definitely a fever so we’re gonna keep an eye on it. Here, swallow.”

“Dad, I don’t like syrup,” Alex said with a crunch of his nose.

“It’s fruit flavored, and you can wash the taste away with the Gatorade afterwards.”

With one of those over the top grimaces, Alex opened his mouth and Oliver gently put the spoon full of whitish liquid between his lips.

“*Yuck,” Alex moaned as soon as he had swallowed and Oliver rolled his eyes, handing him the bottle of Gatorade.

“It’s not that bad.”

Alex took long, almost desperate gulps of his drink, nodding with an accusatory glare.

Oliver smiled, rubbing his hair before getting comfortable on the couch himself. It wasn’t easy, seeing as his son was flanked by a big dog, and a cat who gave him the stink eye when his weight caused him to slip a little lower.

Despite the fact that watching TV wasn’t one of Oliver’s favorite hobbies, he also enjoyed the quiet time it gave him with his youngest child. Alex soon snuggled close to him, and Oliver’s arm went around his small frame, gently patting his leg underneath the blanket. He knew he had a few things to do in the house, but the way Alex was resting against him was enough proof that his place was right there on the couch for the moment.

It was the reason he had wanted to be a stay-at-home dad after all. To take care of his children. Alex being the youngest, he had been the one he got to spend the most time with and sometimes he wondered if the similarities between them were born out of that. He didn’t seem to share his siblings’ love for school, was a little more troublesome as well, something his own mother and sister liked to remind him he used to be guilty of as well. Alex was a nice kid, well mannered, but there was also no denying he wanted to test and push boundaries much more than he was used to his other children doing. That being said, it had also been easier to bond with him, compared to Jamie.

Jamie was exceptionally smart, already a class ahead and would probably skip another one by middle school. It was something that bonded mother and son, but even though Oliver was far from stupid, he didn’t exactly share the same passions and interests.

Alex, on the other hand, loved football. So much that the daddy-Alex days had shifted to Fridays, so they could go to the high school games together during the season. He also loved hockey, which he had started a few months ago with his cousin JJ, Dig and Lyla’s second child who was a year older than him.

Even though Alexander was only six, sometimes Oliver worried he would lose his way like he had lost his own way in the past. He knew the way he and Felicity were raising their children was completely different from his own upbringing, but the worry was still there nonetheless. He could see a path for Lili and Jamie quite clearly, not so much with the benjamin of the family. Something was telling him he would struggle to find his own way, exactly like Oliver. It wasn’t just a matter of his future jobs or education, but how he sometimes had that cocky attitude that Oliver could sense was hiding something. What, he didn’t know and Alex was only six, so there was in his opinion no need to worry - even though, as his wife told him quite often, worrying and Oliver belonged in the same sentence whenever their kids were concerned. He just had a feeling that down the line, Alex would need more support and guidance from his parents.

He was so lost in his daydreaming that he didn’t even realize a few cartoons had gone by when Jamie joined them, Skype faithfully following him.

With a smile, Oliver wordlessly patted the spot next to him and Jamie climbed in, stifling a yawn.

If Alex was the troublesome one, Jamie was the quiet one.

A little too quiet sometimes. It was hard to figure out what he was thinking, his feelings and emotions often carefully guarded, which was slightly unconventional for a child of his age. The daddy-Jamie days were more of a challenge for Oliver and it had often pained him that he somehow failed to connect with his son like he had connected with his daughter. He had tried to read more about science, but he would never be able to reach Felicity’s level.

It was only last year that they had realized Jamie actually loved baseball. Not so much for the game.

No.

What he loved was the stats. And the cards.

Either way, it was good enough for Oliver to be able to share that with him, to know they were creating memories together, as father and son. He didn’t want Jamie to grow up thinking he hadn’t had the same kind of relationship or even worse, importance, as his siblings.

Oliver loved his three children with the same intensity, as did Felicity, even if that love sometimes was expressed differently, adapting to the needs of each one. 

The couch was now slightly overcrowded, with one fully grown man, two kids, two dogs and two cats - Minerva having joined them a little while ago, and it took a little bit of gymnastics for Oliver to stand up without disrupting anyone.

He checked Jamie’s temperature, which was slightly higher than Alex’s. After giving him some medicine, he also got him a bottle of Gatorade, not liking the way his lips seemed dry and chapped.

Seeing as his sons were still mesmerized by the television, he quickly grabbed a shower and got dressed, popping an aspirin to get rid of the headache that had started to grow. He wasn’t used to spending time in front of a screen anymore, and the lack of sleep due to checking on his kids every couple hours was starting to affect him as well.

By the time he was back downstairs, Alex was fast asleep. He covered him with a blanket and made sure he was comfortable and lowered the sound of the TV.

“You need to drink, Jamie,” he said when he noticed the bottle was still mostly untouched.

Jamie nodded, lifting the bottle to his lips to take a few long gulps, his eyes never leaving the screen. He had switched channels and was now catching up on some Doctor Who episodes.

The rest of the morning was slow. Jamie dozing off, then Alex waking up. Both had a little cup of chicken soup for lunch, which didn’t seem to upset their stomachs, thankfully. By the middle of the afternoon, they were already much better, blessed by the still unexplained ability of kids to bounce back after a sickness in a matter of hours. Their eyes had lost their glassiness and their skin wasn’t as pale anymore. Oliver let them use his bathroom, Jamie having fun in the shower while Alex wanted to play in the bathtub. Taking care of sick kids was a hard job and by the time Lili was back from school, Oliver could feel exhaustion seeping through each of his bones. It was Friday, and for once he decided they could order pizza for dinner, not feeling like preparing a meal.

Trusting Lili to keep an eye on her little brothers, he went to change their sheets now that their fevers had broken, so they’d be able to get a good night sleep in a fresh bed.

The headache that had started in the morning had worsened and he figured he could lie down for a couple minutes, the quietness from downstairs assuring him his children were behaving.

Next thing he knew, a fresh cloth was pressing against his forehead and his smiling wife was looking down at him.

  
  


***

  
  


**Oliver, 3:50PM - Lili got back from school. Their fevers seem to be gone. We voted for pizza for dinner, btw. Love you.**

Felicity smiled as she checked the last text Oliver had sent her. She had been in touch with him throughout the day, and had been relieved when he had told her their symptoms seemed to get better by the hour. The flu shot, if unable to stop them from being sick, had at least done a decent job and averted the worst of the sickness. Still, she had made sure she could leave the office as soon as possible and after a quick stop at the grocery store to get her boys a little treat, she drove back to her house a little before five.

Her kids were all watching Robin Hood, the pets slipped between them in an intricate game of human-dogs-cats Tetris. She made them pause the movie before kissing each of their children, pressing a palm against her sons’ foreheads to make sure the temperature was gone. She would still check with the thermometer before bed time but it seemed obvious the worst was clearly over.

“How are you? Better?” she asked Alex.

“Yes. We had soup for lunch and oranges for snack.”

“Oranges for the vitamins and chicken soup because it’s believed to help. Several studies showed that a bowl of chicken soup had a small anti-inflammatory effect that-”

“A what?” Alex asked with wide eyes.

“Your brother means it can help fight infections, or viruses,” Felicity explained gently. “And where’s dad?”

“He went upstairs to change their sheets, he didn’t come back down so I went to check a while ago and he was snoring in your bed,” Lili explained with a little shrug. “I think he got the flu too.”

Felicity’s eyebrows reached her hairline. Oliver rarely got sick. And not just the flu, but everything else. She couldn’t even remember the last time he had had a cold.

“I’m going to check on him. And guys, I know you’ve watched TV most of the day. Enjoy it while it lasts because it stops tomorrow.”

“But moooom-”

“Tsk. You are feeling much better now, there is no reason for you to stay on the couch all weekend long.”

Oliver was indeed on their bed, half wrapped in their comforter as if he had collapsed on it and gotten cold, but had been too lazy to get under the blankets. She gently pressed a hand to his forehead, hissing when she felt the heat under her palms, confirming her suspicions.

Her husband definitely had the flu.

She got a washcloth, passing it under cool water before wringing it. Gently, she brushed it across his forehead, and he let out a groan before struggling to open his eyes.

“Hello, there,” she said with a smile.

“Hi,” he croaked, frowning his eyes at the sound of his own voice, and probably at the pain in his throat judging by the way he seemed to struggle to swallow. He tried to sit up but she stopped him. “Stay. Get under the blankets, I’m going to get you some aspirin.”

Oliver visibly shivered when he removed the comforter and she tucked him in once he was under the sheets.

A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips at the way he let his head drop backwards, his eyes closing in what could only described as misery.

Convincing him to take the two pills was harder than she thought.

“My throat is too sore,” he moaned. “Can’t I have the kids’ syrup instead? I’ll double the dose or something. And it’s strawberry flavored.”

Felicity blinked, then bit her lips in an attempt to keep a straight face.

Correction. Her husband didn’t have the flu.

He had the  **manflu** .

Oliver Queen, the man who had been stranded on a - kind of - deserted island, whose body was covered in scars due to past tortures and his involvement with the Russian mob… wanted his kids’ syrup because his throat was too sore to swallow two pills the size of tic tacs.

It took some time, and a lot of promises of future kisses and pecks, but he eventually agreed to take the medicine before dropping back against the pillows.

“Why don’t you sleep some more? I’ll come back and check on you when it’s dinner time,” Felicity said as she put the glass back on the nightstand, leaving it within his reach.

“Stay. I haven’t seen you all day.”

“Well… yes. Like… every other weekday.”

Oliver let out a huge sigh, his eyes pleading with hers. She let her fingers run through his hair, gently rubbing his temple and he let out a small moan of contentment, closing his eyes.

With a smile, she sat on the bed, her back against the headboard while Oliver snuggled close to her, his face against her stomach. It reminded her of when she had been pregnant, when Oliver would often end up in that position to rub her belly or talk to their unborn child.

He was so used to taking care of all of them, she figured he also probably needed a little bit of tender loving care.

Her nails delicately biting his skull, she let him relax in her embrace, his breathing slowing down and deepening as he drifted back to sleep. She waited a few more minutes, making sure he was comfortable, then carefully slipped out of bed, watching as he grabbed her pillow and shoved his face in it.

Thank you for making sure to spread your germs all over my side of the bed, she thought with a smile, knowing she should probably sleep in the guestroom tonight.

Unsurprisingly, her sons barely ate dinner, but she promised they could have pizza for lunch the next day if they felt up for it. She and Lili didn’t have the same restraint though, and they polished most of it off once it was obvious Oliver was still too out of it to join them.

After putting her youngest to bed, she checked on her husband once more. This time, he woke up when she opened the door, groaning when she switched on the nightstand light.

“How are the kids?” he asked, or rather mumbled in his pillow.

“Much better than you. I brought you some Gatorade and a few more aspirins.”

“You’re not coming to bed?”

“Oliver, it’s barely nine. Jamie and Lili are still downstairs.”

A long moan answered her.

“OK, who are you and what have you done with my husband?” she asked with a smile as she sat down next to him.

“Whatcha talking about?” Oliver turned to face her, his nose scrunching up before he violently sneezed in his shoulder.

Felicity stood up and jumped three feet away from the bed. “I’m out of here.”

“But baby-”

“We need one parent still standing for the weekend, hon. Not taking the risk.”

“Felicity, honey, my head is on fire, can you at least get me a washcloth?”

She rolled her eyes, but picked up the now mostly dry washcloth that Oliver had carelessly dropped on the floor and went to rinse it and refresh it.

“There you go,” she said as she handed him the white square of cotton.

He glanced at her, the pure expression of misery.

“Oh my God, Oliver.”

“But you smell so good.”

“I doubt you can smell anything at the-” She stopped herself when she saw him leaning towards the nightstand, shoving the Gatorade away. “What are you doing?”

“I need my phone so I can call Dig and he can remind you.”

“Remind me what?”

“That you swore it in front of God and our family and our friends. In sickness and in health.”

Felicity put her hands on her hips, glaring at him. “Jeez, Oliver, no need to remind me of our wedding vows, it’s just the flu.”

“There is nothing  **just** about this flu. My head feels like it’s going to explode.”

“Then take your aspirin!”

“But my throat is sore!”

“Do you want me to call your mom?” Felicity asked, breathing through her nose.

“No!”

“That’s what I-”

“But Raisa, Raisa could come. She would always make me some freshly pressed juice, not just orange, but also lemon I think and she would crush the pills inside it so I wouldn’t taste them and why don’t you do that for me, wife?” he asked, his tone almost accusatory.

“Well, first of all,  **husband** , you’re a grown ass man, father of three children, including a teenage one, so I think your former nanny has better things to do than nurse you while you have the flu. And  **I** think you’re a little too old for the medicine in juice trick.”

Oliver grumbled in reply, and she left him to his mantrum to grab the extra thermometer in their bathroom. 

104. His fever was high, and a side effect of it was turning him into a clingy toddler, something she wished her mother-in-law had warned her about before she had said “I do”. Not that it would have changed anything, but at least she would have been prepared.

After a lot of sweet-talking, he eventually gulped down the aspirins and fell back asleep while she took her shower. She gazed down at him, her fingers gently brushing his hair, the few grey strands giving him a more mature look, which he totally rocked.

If someone had told her, the day she met Oliver, that one day they’d be married, with three kids, and she’d be gazing down at him on a Friday night while he was snoring his head off, she would have burst out laughing.

Yet, here she was. And manflu or not, she wouldn’t change it for the world.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought the idea of big, badass Oliver becoming a clingy toddler because of the big bad flu was hilarious. He just needs some loving ;)  
> I hope you liked it, I do have a few other ideas that I should get to write in the next couple days, but it's hard for me to focus on two things at the same time in terms of writing so if I focus on my novel, I can't focus on this verse and vice versa and unfortauntely, novel takes first place XD


	7. Down The Line

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, been a while, right?  
> Sorry lol. I am not forgetting about these, but I've had a lot on my plate lately in terms of writing and it's hard for me to go back to fanfic.
> 
> This one is super special to me. It happens in the future, and the kids are older. I don't want to spoil anything so I'll leave most of my notes for the end.
> 
> Big thank you to mysticaldetectivepanda for editing <3<3

 

 

“Not that easy anymore, right, old man?” Alex laughed, dribbling around Oliver before launching in a graceful arc and letting the basketball fly from his hands.

Oliver chuckled, resting his hands on his hips and shaking his head at his son’s cockiness. “I have a few decades on you, it was about time you caught up with me.”

Alex grinned as he caught the ball and rested it against his hip. “I figured I should spare your ego. I’ve been holding back for a while.”

With a swift move, Oliver gripped his son in a playful headlock and rubbed his hair with his fist. “You might have the knees and flexibility of an eighteen year-old, I still have quicker moves.”

“Fuck, dad, that’s not fair,” Alex yelled, trying to get out.

“If your mom heard that language, she’d be doing much worse than messing with your hair.” With one last playful pat on Alex’s skull, Oliver let him go, just in time to see Jamie walk out of the garage.

Alex had been into sports ever since he could walk. The basketball hoop had been installed above the garage door when he was twelve years old and had started to grow steadily. He was now slightly taller than his dad, and even though basketball didn’t interest him as much as hockey, father and son still loved playing together.

“Jamie, wanna join us?” Alex asked before throwing the ball at his older brother who caught it then looked at it as if it was a foreign object. Jamie wasn’t as athletic as his brother, taking after his mom. He enjoyed running, which he claimed cleared his head, but wasn’t into team sports at all.

The two brothers couldn’t be any more different, but they had quickly learned to stick together against their sister. Not only was she the oldest, she also had some natural leadership qualities that she had exercised ever since she could walk. Or so it seemed to Oliver.

She took after her mom a lot but he could also see his father in her, and it had surprised exactly no one when she had quietly, without telling anyone, chosen to major in business.

It still hadn’t been easy for Oliver when she had announced that she had applied to London Business School for her MBA. It had been hard for him to accept that she would be living halfway across the world. Were British men really trustworthy, and who would kick their asses if they disrespected his daughter?

To which his wife had reminded him that between him and Dig, his baby girl had had plenty of self-defense lessons, and he should worry more about the British men than his daughter living there by herself.

The main reason Lili had wanted to study in Europe was to make sure her parents’ achievements wouldn’t give her a pass. She wanted to prove her worth, and to be able to look back in pride over her own successes, knowing they were mostly due to her hard work.

She was a Smoak woman, after all. And even if, yes, she did have it easier thanks to her parents’ financial status, she also wanted to be worthy of her end goal, which she had only shared with them last year: she wanted to join Smoak Technologies and hopefully, at some point, continue the family legacy.

Jamie was already in med school, having skipped a few classes in middle and high school. He was the least troublesome of their children. He had picked a path and was just following it quietly. Alex was different, but hopefully leaving for college would help him find a purpose.

“Come on big bro, just a few passes?” Alex continued as he pretended to try to steal the ball Jamie was still holding.

“You know that’s not my thing,” Jamie said with a sigh, handing him the ball without a struggle.

“You OK, James?” Oliver asked with a small frown. Jamie was a quiet boy… well, no… young man. Sometimes, Oliver still struggled to see his children as adults. The way his oldest son was avoiding his eyes, his body a little rigid, was telling him something was slightly off.

Alex shared a look with him, probably sensing the same thing.

“Yeah, I’m good,” Jamie said with a shrug.

“You know, I think I kicked your ass enough for today,” Alex said smoothly. “I’m going to shower so my date tonight doesn’t run for the hills because I reek of sweat.”

“Your date?” Oliver asked. “I thought Alicia was on vacation for another week?”

“We broke up three days ago.”

Oliver rolled his eyes, understanding it was better to not ask. Alex had a different girlfriend every week, or so it seemed. Something father and son had in common, and Oliver wasn’t looking forward to see just how far that would go. He and Felicity were keeping a close eye on their youngest, because even though Alex’ private life was his business, they also hadn’t raised their children to hurt other people.

With one last glance at his father, Alex jogged back inside the garage then into their home, leaving Oliver and Jamie alone. Tardis, their cat, stretched on the bench where he had been taking a nap then slowly strolled to them, curling himself around Jamie’s legs, who then picked him up and stroked his black fur.

“Come on,” Oliver said softly, his hand reaching out to squeeze the back of Jamie’s neck. “Something is bothering you, I can see it.”

“It’s about next Sunday,” Jamie eventually said as they sat down on the bench Tardis had just vacated.

“What about it?” Next Sunday was July 4th and they always celebrated it in their home with their family and friends, and it was something Oliver always looked forward to. A fun, laid-back day with people he loved around him, as well as some business partners of Felicity and city officials.

“I don’t think I’ll be there.”

That made Oliver pause. Jamie had always loved that day. “You have other plans? Maybe with someone?” he asked with a little smile. Maybe Jamie had found a nice girl and had been invited to her place? He would love to meet the one who might have finally captured his son’s interest, but he also could understand that maybe it wouldn’t be the best occasion, with so many people around, especially with Jamie’s introverted personality.

“No, it’s not that. Not really,” Jamie muttered, scraping the ground with the tip of his shoe, a tell-tale sign of his nerves.

“O… kay… You know it’s a family day and we love to have everyone around us, but it’s OK if you can’t be here. You’re an adult, now.”

“I met a girl,” Jamie eventually said with a sigh, keeping his eyes ahead. “Two months ago. We went on a few dates.”

Oliver grinned. So, it  _ was  _ because of a girl. “She invited you to her place? Meeting the parents?”

“No. Dad… you know I never dated much.”

“I know. Your mom wasn’t exactly a social butterfly either in her youth. I know it can be intimidating but I promise you, talking is the most important thing in a relationship.”

“I broke up with her a few weeks ago.”

“And you regret it?”

Jamie let out a small, bitter laugh that took Oliver by surprise. That wasn’t something he was used to when it came to his son. There was something on his face, a mix of fear, uncertainty and confusion.

“Jamie, are you alright?” Oliver asked again when Jamie remained silent.

“I wanted to bring her here, introduce her to you all but then I realized it was a bad idea.”

“Why? You know your mom and I would love to meet your girlfriend. I’m sure she is a very special girl. You’re quite an amazing young man yourself.”

“I see how you look at Alex. He dates a lot, brings girls home and you and mom laugh it off because he’s so much like you.”

“He is,” Oliver said carefully. “But believe me, that is not the part of me I am most proud of. We laugh it off now because he is still young and as far as we know, he’s playing around but doesn’t disrespect them. He has some boundaries. I can tell you I wasn’t like that. I was an asshole before I met your mom. A real one.”

“I’m not like you, dad. Or like Alex.”

“And it’s perfectly fine. You’re Jamie. You are focused on other things, you are driven and ambitious. I admire that in you because I completely lacked those qualities at your age.” Oliver knew his son’s perpetual - or so it seemed - celibacy wasn’t due to lack of opportunity. More often than not he would see the way girls would look at him, the quiet, smart young man who was, from what he heard some of them say, more than easy on the eye. If Jamie was often single, it was obviously by choice.

“Even Grandma and Raisa sometimes wonder if I’m really your son. Not… God, everyone knows I am, but I mean they joke it off because we’re so different. You used to be-”

“A player, James. That’s what I used to be. And it’s nothing I pride myself on. It happened, it eventually led me to your mom and for that reason alone I will never, ever regret it. But my life is you, your mother, your siblings. Everything that happened before that, I don’t give a damn about. I wish I hadn’t hurt people, because I did hurt a lot of women along the way, but at the end of the day… my family is what matters the most to me. It always will. I hope one day you’ll find that same happiness, and I don’t care in the slightest how you find that happiness. You’re not following my footsteps and I’m glad. You’re following your mom’s. God knows she's the smart one, so it's a good thing, too.”

Jamie shook his head and something constricted deep in Oliver’s chest when he caught a glimpse of his eyes shining with unshed tears before he lowered his gaze to his hands.

“Dad… I’m gay.”

Oliver heard the words but his brain didn’t process them. What processed was that his son, the flesh of his flesh, was hurting and almost seemed ashamed of something, and every single protective instinct he had as a father flared up. But then those three words finally connected and he was a little too shocked to react right away.

“Anyway,” Jamie said as he sniffled and stood up. “I don’t feel like having people ask me when I’ll bring a nice girl home so… I won’t be there for July 4th.”

_ I’m gay. _

He hadn’t seen that coming. How could he have not seen that coming?!

“Jamie,” he said in a croak as he saw him about to walk back into the garage.

Jamie stopped but he didn’t turn around and it hurt, deeply, to know that his son felt the need to walk away from him.

Oliver caught up to him and with a gentle grip, turned him around to face him.

“Dad, I-”

“No.” Oliver pulled his son to him, engulfing him in a bear hug, his hand resting on the back of his head. He pressed a hard kiss on his hair, something he hadn’t done in quite a while. “I’m sorry, Jamie. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“I didn’t see it. I didn’t even… think about it. I thought you were focused on school, and that it also came with being an introvert. I didn’t realize... How long have you known?”

“I started to think something was weird with me when I was sixteen. I didn’t care about girls, but I still dated a few, and I thought it was the same for everyone, you know? My friends were all about girls, some fell in love, and I still didn’t… I couldn’t even _see_ it. You and mom, what you have… I thought I’d find that one day, and that was why it didn’t feel right for me. I just hadn’t found _the_ girl and once I would, then it’d be like you guys. Everyone kept joking about all the hearts I was going to break, like you, and all I could think about was that I’d probably never really get into a relationship until I found the perfect girl. Then Alex…”

“Alex what?” Oliver murmured.

“Alex started to date. A lot. And I realized that there really was something different in me. Because he always joked that if things happen to him like they did for you, it doesn’t have to stop him from having fun in the meanwhile. But I never saw dating a girl as fun. It was more like a step I had to take.  Then one day, I was at that party in a frat house because Tyler asked me to go with him and it suddenly dawned on me that my eyes were more attracted to the guys than to the girls.”

“When was that?”

“Two years ago.”

“Why didn’t you…” Oliver pulled away, keeping his hands on Jamie’s shoulders.

“I still wasn’t… Dad, I still hadn’t even thought the word. Gay. How could I talk to someone about it when I didn’t even dare to think the word? Anyway, I did try to date. But when things got too… you know… I… I couldn’t do it anymore. The girl I dated, Mary, she sensed something was off and she asked me. Like, looked me in the eye, asked me if I was gay. And I couldn’t say no, dad.”

“God, Jamie. I’m sorry. I’m sorry you had to go through all of this alone and that it made you feel different, in a way that wasn’t comfortable for you.”

“It’s not your fault, dad. But how could you have understood?”

“There is nothing to understand, James,” Oliver said in a strong voice, his hands cradling his son’s face to meet his eyes. “Nothing. You are you and you are my son and I love you exactly the way you are. I might not have known all about you until a few minutes ago but there is nothing, absolutely _nothing_ on earth that could ever make me love you any less. I’m proud of you. I’m proud of the way you worked through it. I just wish I had made things easier for you. Maybe if I hadn’t teased you about girls, it wouldn’t have been such a struggle for you.”

Jamie shrugged. “It’s not exactly like you can change who you were before, or how Alex is. And you couldn’t have known.”

Oliver nodded, his eyes still observing his son. The tension in his body was gone, which was already reassuring. “I made mistakes. And I will make more mistakes. It’s uncharted territory for me, in a way. But Jamie, you have to understand something. You are my priority. Your wellbeing, your happiness? That is what matters to me. The rest? It’s details. How, or why, or who, or when? I don’t care about that. I never will.”

“Hum, guys, I hate to interrupt, but mom says dinner will be ready soon,” Alex’s voice reached them as he hesitantly peeked from the garage.

“Weren’t you supposed to go on a date?” Oliver called back.

“I’m not taking every girl out to dinner,” Alex said with a wince. “It’s the movies, tonight.”

Jamie huffed out a laugh then wiped his cheeks dry. Oliver rubbed his eyes as well, knowing their talk had left its mark on him as well.

“Are you guys OK?” Alex asked in a serious tone as he approached them. “Jamie, is there something wrong?”

“Alex-” Oliver started.

“It’s fine, dad,” Jamie cut him off before taking a deep breath. “I’m gay, Alexander.”

Alex looked at him. “Yeah, I know. Someone gave you shit about that?”

“... You know?”

“Dude, it’s kinda obvious. You never look at girls and during family dinners, you’re always with Aunt Sara. Seemed pretty clear to me that you were more comfortable with her because she knows how it feels to grow up and find out you’re not like most people around you.”

Oliver closed his eyes, pride and shame battling inside him. Pride that his son, the one who seemed the most careless, was much more observant than he was. Shame that Jamie’s brother had understood way before he, his father, had. But above all that, all he felt was love.

“I love you. The two of you. You know that, right?”

Alex rolled his eyes. “Jeez, dad, let’s not make this a Hallmark movie, shall we?” He turned to face Jamie. “How much you wanna bet mom knows too?”

Jamie smiled, bringing relief to Oliver. That was his son’s smile. A little shy, but good-hearted and warm. “I think she does. She told me to take it easy on dad because she has to tell him she invited Lili’s-” He paused then, his eyes widening. “Never mind.”

“Lili’s what?” Oliver asked suspiciously.

“Ah… fuck,” Alex murmured, rubbing the back of his neck. “OK, keep in mind, the important thing is that Jamie is out of the closet, OK?”

“Lili’s boyfriend from London is coming to visit for July 4th,” Jamie mumbled. “And mom said he could stay here.”

“You guys will never know how thankful I am you both are boys,” Oliver muttered as he mentally listed what he would need to boyfriend-proof his daughter’s room.

“Oh, believe me, we know. Especially since mom told Lili that seeing as she was an adult now, and he was apparently a very special man to her, he could stay in her room.”

“WHAT?!”

“Dad, Lili is almost 25 and they’ve been together for six months, which is a record for her. Hell, you better prepare yourself, he might very well be your future son-in-law.”

It was true. Lili had been like a butterfly ever since she had been old enough to date. Her relationships never lasted more then a few months, at most. She always picked good guys, as far as Oliver knew, but somehow, she never seemed interested in a serious relationship. He had figured she was similar to him, like Alex, and enjoyed the flirting stage more than the serious one. The British boy, though... he had noticed her behavior was different whenever she would talk about him. But the idea of his baby girl getting married wasn't something he was ready to face yet - no matter how many times his wife would scold him about his inability to see his little princess as a grown-up.

Oliver gritted his teeth as they walked inside the kitchen where Felicity was tossing a salad together. “The three men in my life,” she sighed happily as she took them in. “Is everything alright?”

“Yeah… Mom… I…” Jamie started.

Felicity shook her head, abandoning her salad to hug her son. “I know, sweetheart. I know.”

Oliver waited until his son walked out of Felicity’s embrace. “Boys, could you go… wherever, I need to talk to your mother.”

“Sorry, mom. We told him.”

She paused, tilting her head and glaring at them. “Seriously? I had a plan, you know. I was going to tell him tonight.”

“Fe-li-ci-ty.”

“Oliver. Your daughter is a woman. She has a serious boyfriend who is traveling halfway across the world to see her, knowing he’s gonna have to meet the father she has been idolizing since the day she was born. She is responsible, and an adult, and I am going to treat her that way and so will you. Are we clear?”

“But, honey-” He all but whined, ignoring the loud snorts coming from his sons.

“No. He will stay in her bedroom because you can’t fool yourself into thinking she has remained chaste all these years, and I’d rather things to be honest and open over them sneaking out and hiding as if being in love and in a committed relationship is shameful.”

“There is a difference between shameful and-” Oliver paused, looking at his sons who sat down at the counter, munching on cherry tomatoes. “You guys can leave, you know.”

“Nah. For once it’s not my love life you’re talking about… I’m not missing that.”

“And you do know that one day I might bring a boy home too, so I’m taking notes,” Jamie added.

Oliver locked his jaw, his finger hesitating as if he wanted to point at them. “This is…”

“This is simple,” Felicity finished for him. “We didn’t wait to get married to have sex, did we? And we didn’t raise our children with that belief, did we?”

He opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. “No, but-”

“But nothing. If you have a problem with your daughter being in a loving relationship, the doghouse is available for you.”

“Really? The doghouse again? I thought we were past that,” he grumbled. It had been a few years since the last time he had been threatened to get kicked out of his own bedroom.

“Oliver, Lili is in love. With a man she hasn’t seen in weeks. Remember how we were thirty years ago? We wanted to spend every single minute together.”

“It’s  _ because  _ I remember exactly why we wanted to spend every single minute together that I don’t think it’s a good idea to-”

Jamie and Alex snickered. “Dad, seriously. I can promise you that Lili isn’t looking forward to have sex with her parents in the same house,” Alex said with a laugh, taking pity on him. “I’d be more worried if she wants to take him to the cabin.”

They had bought a cabin in the woods, a little outside of Starling, when Alex had joined them. A lot of weekends had been spent there, either as a whole family or Oliver with the boys. There had been quite a few girls’ trips as well with Felicity, Lili, Lyla and Saran for instance.

Jamie snorted. “She and Saran are going there tomorrow to clean the place.”

“Felicity!”

“Oliver, he likes to fish, what the hell was I supposed to say?!”

“Oh yeah, because they’re _totally_ gonna go there to fish,” Oliver exclaimed, lifting his arms in frustration. “A cabin, lost in the woods, by the lake, just the two of them.”

Felicity narrowed his eyes at him. “And even so, so what? I seem to remember you would have rather enjoyed that when I was her age.”

“Not just when she was Lili’s age,” Alex stage-whispered.

“And not just in the cabin,” Jamie muttered.

“Boys.”

“I’m just saying, for dad’s sake, let’s hope Lili didn’t inherit that from the two of you.”

“Make yourselves useful, will you?” Oliver grumbled, knowing he was fighting a lost cause since everyone was ganging up on him. “Set the table or something. And Jamie, if you don’t want us to invite people for July 4th, we won’t. It can be just us.”

“Dad, you love having people over.”

“I love my family around me. You prefer it’s just us, then it will be just us. You want to tell people to mind their own business if they bother you with questions, you do it. Your choice.”

Jamie looked at him and smiled. “I don’t care what these people say. I cared about what you guys would think.”

“My offer to kick some ass still stands,” Alex said before throwing a cherry tomato in the air and catching it in his mouth.

“Alexander!”

“What?” he asked as he chewed. “Mom, we both know you’d rip them a new one if they bothered Jamie.”

“Language!”

“Dad, you said ‘asshole’ when we talked earlier,” Jamie said in defense of his little brother.

Felicity’s reproachful eyes turned from Alex to her husband.

“God, when did they start ganging up on us?” Oliver muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Probably when they started to talk.”

The front door closed and Oliver braced himself, knowing it was probably Lili coming back from work. She had found a summer job as a receptionist in a hotel.

“It smells good,” she said as she walked in the kitchen. “Daddy’s lasagna?”

Oliver leaned back against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked at his daughter. She was wearing her usual work attire, a black pantsuit with a pale blue blouse underneath and it made her seemed awfully grown-up and responsible. As if he needed yet another reminder that she was now an adult.

“So, Nathan is coming to visit you?” he asked.

Lili’s eyes widened before searching for her mom’s. “Don’t look at your mother. I know you asked her behind my back for a reason.”

“Yes. And that’s because she is much more rational than you,” Lili said after a short pause, a beaming smile spreading on her lips before she leaned in to circle Jamie’s shoulders with her arms and pressed a hard kiss on his cheek. “Hello, baby brother of mine.”

“What about me?” Alex asked with a pout.

“You didn’t just come out of the closet did you?”

“... No.”

“Then you don’t need my wordless yet certain reassurance that I love you and nothing changed for me.”

“How do you know I...”

“I haven’t seen you this relaxed in a while. And Alex texted me. So after dinner, you, me, Dairy Queen, OK?”

Oliver cleared his throat, interrupting them. “Did your little brother also text you that I know your mom said Nathan could sleep in your bedroom?”

Lili gasped, her beaming smile widening even more. “You mean you’re OK with it?!” She jumped up and down, clapping her hands before rushing to hug him. “Thank you so much, dad. You know I’ll never do anything disrespectful.”

“What the…” Oliver muttered, searching for his wife’s eyes. Felicity bit her lips to hide her smile.

_ Oh that sneaky little… _

She hadn’t told Lili that Nathan could share her room. And judging by the smirk Alex was sporting, he also was in on the scheme. They probably knew that if Lili thought he was OK with it, she’d be over the moon and then Oliver would never be able to tell her no and watch the happiness vanish from her face.

Lili still in his arms, he pointed at his wife and youngest son, mouthing, “You are gonna pay for this."

“Watch out, dad. Your patriarchy is showing,” Alex said, cocking an eyebrow.

“My… what?” Oliver exclaimed, pulling away from his daughter and glancing at his wife. “Honey?”

Felicity winced, nodding. “I’m sorry, but… he does have a point.”

“You literally admitted to me that you and mom kinda laugh it off a little when you see Alexander’s love life, but Lili, who is seven years older and has a serious, steady boyfriend, makes you all grouchy.”

“Alex doesn’t bring girls home to spend the night. It’s different. And didn’t I ask you to set the table?”

Jamie stood up, getting plates from the cabinet. “It’s cool, dad. We all know Lili is your little princess.”

Lili looked up at him with a bright smile. She looked so much like her mother in many ways, but especially in her formal clothes, which were so similar to how Felicity used to dress when he had met her.  “It’s OK, dad. I like being your little princess.”

Alex popped another cherry tomato in his mouth before saying, his mouth full, “That’s because he spoils you rotten.”

“I do not!”

“You’re just jealous that I, as the eldest, had him all to myself for two blissful years,” Lili said, her arms going around her dad’s waist and looking at her brother smugly.

“Should I remind you I had him all to myself for days and days because he stopped working for  _ me _ ?” Alex snorted before yelping when Felicity slapped his hand with a spatula when he tried to steal a piece of garlic bread. “Mom!” he whined. “I’m a growing boy!”

“Well, I’ve decided you’re tall enough, so help your brother instead of eating the food!”

“Yeah, instead of reminding me how I got the short-end of the stick as the middle child, maybe you guys could give me a hand.”

“Aww, poor Jamie-boy feels left out,” Lili cooed. “I think he needs some love.”

“Yup. Attack hug?” Alex asked seriously.

“No!”

“Don’t be shy, Jamie. You know you love our hugs,” Lili said sweetly as she took off her jacket and rolled up the sleeves of her shirt.

“Last time you attack-hugged me, we broke mom’s vase!”

“It was an ugly vase, anyway.”

“Hey!”

“Sorry, mom, but even dad thanked us.”

Felicity gasped, glaring at her husband. “Oliver Jonas Queen!”

“Honey, it…” he started, lifting his hands in an appeasing gesture. “You know I was all for our little Ghost cosplay but pottery is not your thing.”

“Ew, dad.”

“What?”

“Do you really think we don’t know what you guys mean with ‘Ghost cosplay?’ I’ve walked in on you Ghost cosplaying, in case you forgot! I had to go to therapy!”

“Alex, you had to go to physical therapy because you fell and twisted your ankle,” Felicity deadpanned.

Alex paused as he was setting the cutlery on the table. “First of all, I fell because I was too traumatized to look where I was going. Second of all, it’s still therapy.”

“You’ve been staying with Uncle Tommy a little bit too much,” Oliver sighed as he picked up the dish of lasagna and brought it to the kitchen table.

“We’re brothers in arms now. Same war wounds and all that jazz,” Alex said with a grin as he started munching on a piece of bread. “We’re considering the creation of a support group. He says Aunt Dani might want to join as well.”

“Aunt Dani too?” Lili asked in surprise.

“It was a long time ago,” Felicity said with a wince. “Way before you guys were born. It’s still a very fond memory for her, so I doubt she’ll want to join.”

Oliver coughed before serving his wife. He could still remember how Daniela, still Felicity’s assistant back then, had ended up with a direct view of his naked ass right after Palmer Tech and Queen Consolidated had merged. Pun kinda intended.

Alex frowned. “He didn’t mention that.”

“Of course, he didn’t,” Oliver snorted. “Pass the salad, will you?”

“And why is it a fond memory for her?” his youngest son continued, handing him the salad bowl.

Jamie cleared his throat. “Are you  _ sure  _ you want to know the answer to this question?”

“Good point.”

Oliver watched as his children started to bicker, as if they were still kids and not adults. It was hard to think about the fact that this was probably one of the last times they would share a simple family dinner, just the five of them.

“You’re already nostalgic, aren’t you?” Felicity asked as she took a sip of her wine while their children were doing the dishes after their meal.

He sighed, rubbing his eyes. “Am I that obvious?”

“Yup. At least, to me.”

“It just feels like I blinked and suddenly they were all grown up.”

Felicity smiled. “It sure feels that way. But we did a good job, didn’t we?”

“Yeah. We did.”

“Alex!” Lili’s screech made them turn their head, just in time to see their daughter shove a soapy sponge in her brother’s face.

“Lili!”

“Mom, he started it!” Lili huffed, pointing toward her ponytail which was now completely askew.

“I can’t believe you wanted a fourth one,” Felicity groaned.

“I still do.”

“That’s just not possible anymore. I’m afraid you’ll have to wait and settle for grandkids.”

He paused. “They’re too young.”

“I was Lili’s age when you came back and, if I remember correctly, you would have knocked me up right away if you could have.”

“If that English boy ever-”

“Tsk, tsk. Takes two to tango.”

“Since we’re talking about what must be my favorite topic,” he snarled, “you really knew about Jamie?”

“I had suspicions. Alex figured it out and had just told me he thought that’s what you guys were talking about.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? I was so damn clueless.”

Felicity shrugged. “I wasn’t sure and I figured… Jamie knows we’re here for him. It had to come from him, one way or another. He deserved the time to figure everything out, at his own pace.”

He knew his wife was right - as usual. Yet, it still wasn’t easy for him to accept that his child might have been struggling and he had been oblivious.

“They’re adults, now, Oliver,” Felicity said with a laugh, correctly reading him. “They can’t always go to daddy to help them through everything.”

“We both know Jamie would have gone to you first, anyway.”

Jamie had been a mama’s boy from the start. It had only amplified with the years when mother and son had become more and more intellectually equal. Oliver had been confident that Jamie would want to work at Smoak Tech eventually, but he had preferred the medical field.

“Look who’s talking, with your daddy’s girl calling you every Wednesday because it used to be your day. I feel lucky if I get a text once a month,” Felicity snorted, resting back in her chair.

“You’re gonna get her at Smoak Tech sooner rather than later, don’t complain. And let’s not compare how many times our sons call us. Alex lives with us and still needs to have you on the phone every other day.”

A smug smile appeared on her face. “I raised my boys right. Mom is always number one.”

“That she is,” Oliver murmured before leaning in to steal a quick kiss. “You know, there is definitely a good thing about them being adults, now.”

“Really?”

“Yup. I get to ravish my wife when they’re out for the night,” he whispered against her lips.

“Oh, guys, come on. Can’t you wait until we’re gone?”

“Don’t you have a date?” Oliver asked back, not moving from where he was.

Felicity laughed against his mouth then pulled away and leaned in to whisper in his ear, “I’ll wait for you in our bedroom.”

“Put the red lacy thing on?”

She winked at him, then stood up. He watched as she sashayed her way out of the kitchen, knowing the extra sway in her hips was for his benefit.

“You guys are so gross,” Alex’s disgusted voice forced his attention away.

Lili slapped him with a towel.

“Lili, don’t hit your brother.”

“Yeah, Lili, listen to dad!” Alex groaned, rubbing the spot on his thigh where he had been hit. “Fuck, that hurt!”

“Mess up his hair, it works much better,” Oliver continued, raising his glass to his daughter and ignoring his son’s outraged gasp. He watched as the two of them started bickering again, Jamie as usual finishing most of the cleaning by himself.

He checked the clock above the sink and saw that Felicity had been gone for a good five minutes - plenty of time to change. “I’m a little tired, gonna head to bed,” he said as he brought the last empty glasses to the sink. “You guys lock up when you leave, OK?”

“Sure. Happy Ghost cosplaying, dad,” Alex snorted as he walked out of the kitchen. “Ow! Lili, God damn it!”

“That wasn’t me!”

“Jamie, you traitor!”

Oliver chuckled as he climbed up the stairs. Yes, his children were growing up. The family he and Felicity had created was as beautiful as he had dreamed it, decades ago. Their house was full of love, and laughter, and yes, slaps on the butt with a kitchen towel.

Exactly the way it should be.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo... When I was writing STAMTB, I started picturing their children.  
> I knew they would first have a daughter. I also knew she would follow her mother's footsteps (and as you can see, she is working hard to be worthy of that). Oh, and Nathan? Yup... it's *the one* for her. I hope I'll be able to explain it more in another one-shot, but he's definitely a great guy and he has an English accent because I figured Lili deserved a hot English dude with an accent. Sue me.   
> I always pictured their youngest as a little hellion. A boy who would be extremely similar to Oliver. He's a charmer, a little cheeky, a little cocky and... let's just say he's gonna have a hard time finding himself and finding his path. This character really took life in my brain and I plan on writing a full story based on him (a YA novel).   
> Jamie was a little more mysterious. I saw him going in the medical field first as a wink wink to Felicity's moment in STAMTB in the ob-gyn office lol. I see him more interested in research, so that part is still a little vague... He will meet *the one* later on. I see his LI as a College teacher, hopefully litterature or History. (It's funny how sometimes you get a picture for some characters).  
> When I really started to think about them down the line, as adults... I saw Alex's love life super easily (*his one* is named Lucy. That's how specific it was for him lol. I know her, I know what she looks like, I know her background, etc etc. She is the most fleshed out LI. Why, I don't know. The picture just got clear right away). Lili was a little harder. I knew she'd be a little butterfly, going from one flower to the next until she found the perfect guy, though. And if you think she was like that because she saw how her dad loved her mom and she didn't want to settle for anything less than the love they shared... you are totally right. Nathan is still mostly a blank canvas to me. I know a few things about him, but it's not very detailed.)  
> And I realized quite soon that... I didn't have a clear picture for Jamie's LI. Which made me wonder why. And that's when I realized it was because I was guilty of hetero-normativity (ok that might not be the right word but I hope you get what I mean lol). Once I decided to look at his character from the start... it became obvious to me that he was gay. I didn't decide to make him gay. He just was. But I also wanted to show that... sometimes it takes a while to figure it out. Especially when your dad is Oliver Queen, playboy in his youth, heartbreaker, etc. And your brother is also like that. The difference between them became quite obvious to him but I think sometimes you just need time to figure things out at your own pace. He did. He's happy now, and ready to fully embrace life and love.   
> I wanted to show how much it doesn't matter for his parents. The only thing that matters to them is to have him healthy and happy and that he knows he is loved unconditionally. Also, yeah there is a little guilt because, as Oliver said it, he didn't *see* it. But it's quite common for a lot of parents, based on my experience.   
> This chapter was mostly to show you where the children would head in their adult lives. How they are as adults, the strong bond the family shares and... yeah Oliver and Felicity are still as active in the bedroom as possible *wiggles eyebrows*. Their children is their priority. That will never change and as Felicity said... they did a good job with them. They all know their parents are there for them, and I think that's what every child needs, even when they're officially grown-ups.
> 
> Hope you liked it, it was really special for me to write <3<3


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